Rahul, Sonia meet Telugu poet Gummadi Vittal Rao; he agrees to campaign for 'secular forces'

NEW DELHI: Revolutionary Telugu poet and Dalit rights activist Gummadi Vittal Rao on Friday met Congress President Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi here and said he was ready to fight "for secular forces" and campaign for them. Sources said while Rahul met Rao in the morning Sonia met with him in the evening.

"Earlier today, I met with the revolutionary Telugu poet and Dalit rights activist, Shri Gunmadi Vittal Rao, more familiarly known as GADDAR.

"Amongst the many issues we discussed, was how to defend our Constitution from the systematic attack by the forces of fascism that seek to undermine it," Rahul said after the meeting.

He also said, "I look forward to hearing GADDAR sing his songs of revolution and to watch one of the plays he's scripted some time in the near future."

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rao said he was ready to campaign for and fight with secular forces in the state in the upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

He said Telangana came into being after sacrifices of many people, but "people's Telangana is yet to be realised".

"I am ready to fight for secular forces and campaign for them. Rahul Gandhi has launched the Save Constitution campaign and we endorse that campaign and will join it," he said.

He also said that his aim was to fight "neo-feudalism".

Sources say there is speculation that his son, a Congress member, may get the ticket from the Belampally Assembly constituency in the state.

Gummadi Vittal Rao, popularly known as Gaddar is a poet, revolutionary Telugu balladeer and a Dalit rights activist in Telangana.

With the resurgence of the Telangana movement, Gaddar expressed his support for the cause of a separate state and also those who were advocating it with the intention of uplifting the lower castes, particularly the Dalits and the backwards.

Gaddar's song "Amma Telanganama Akali kekala gaanama" has been selected as the state song of Telangana.