Bharatiya Janata Party State president Kambhampati Haribabu on Sunday defended the protest of the BJP and RSS workers at the CPI(M) office in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. He alleged that the CPI(M) workers had manhandled their activists though they wanted to organise a peaceful protest to oppose the killing of many BJP and RSS workers in Kerala where the CPI(M) was in power.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the inauguration of the party new office in Srikakulam, he alleged that more than 120 activists were killed due to the ‘wrong policies’ of the CPI(M) government in Kerala. “We held the protest in a democratic manner at the CPI(M) office to make them move in the right path. But the Left leaders and activists caused tension by attacking our cadre,” he claimed.
He made it clear that the party would continue to have an electoral tie-up with the Telugu Desam Party. “The TDP has its Ministers in the NDA government. Our MLAs are Ministers in the TDP government. So there is no need to doubt the continuation of the alliance in future too,” he said.
Minister for Medical and Health Kamineni Srinivas and BJP Floor Leader Vishnukumar Raju were present at the inaugural.
Meanwhile, differences cropped up among the BJP leaders in Srikakulam over the inaugural function. BJP district president Kotagiri Narayana Rao, senior leaders Sevvana Venkateswara Rao, S.V. Ramana and others reportedly told Mr. Haribabu that they were not involved in the construction of the office. Many leaders from various constituencies did not attend the function as they reportedly did not receive invitations.
Mr. Haribabu said differences were common in big organisations. He would ensure coordination among the leaders in Srikakulam district, he said.
‘Dangerous trend’
The CPI(M) organised a protest at Ranasthalam in the district against the BJP’s dharna in front of their office in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. Party leaders B. Krishnamurthy, D. Govinda Rao and others alleged that the attack and protests at the CPI(M) office should be condemned by everyone in the country.
They alleged that more than 100 activists of the CPI(M) were killed in Kerala with the ‘communal tension created by the BJP and the RSS in the State’.
Mr. Govinda Rao alleged that the BJP was adopting a dangerous trend in the country to weaken the Opposition, particularly the Left parties.