WARANGAL: Congress leaders took out ‘Azadi ka Gaurav Yatra’ across the state on Tuesday as part of the Swatantra Bharat Vajrotsavaalu (diamond jubilee celebrations of Independent India), in line with the decision taken at the Congress Chintan Shivir in Rajasthan.
The padayatra was aimed at highlighting the ‘anti-people’ policies adopted by both the Central and the state governments and to remind the present generation about the prominent role played by the Congress and sacrifices done by the great leaders in achieving Independence.
Ridiculing the ‘Azai ka Amrit Mahotsav’ initiated by the BJP government at the Centre, Congress Legislative Party leader Bhatti Vikramarka commenced the padayatra from Kusumanchi in Palair of Khammam district.
TPCC working president Turpu Jagga Reddy, the Sangareddy MLA, launched the padayatra after paying tributes by garlanding the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Chowk in Sadasivpet.
After taking blessings from his mother, Congress former MP Ponnam Prabhakar offered prayers at Peddamma temple and started the padayatra from Gambhiraopet of Rajanna Sircilla district from where the then AP Chief Minister late Dr Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy launched a yatra in 2003.
In united Warangal district, Mulugu MLA Seethakka launched the yatra from Gattamma temple under the leadership of district unit president N. Kumaraswamy. In Hanamkonda, after paying tributes to the freedom fighters, district unit president Naini Rajendar Reddy launched the padayatra from Kazipet, while in Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Congress Assembly segment in-charge Gandra Satyanarayana launched the yatra from Motlapally village of Mogillapally mandal.
In Basara of Nirmal district, AICC official spokesperson Alleti Maheshwar Reddy commenced the padayatra while in Hyderabad, the coordinator of the Greater Hyderabad Congress Committee, Dr C. Rohan Reddy, launched the yatra from Filmnagar Rajeshwari Devi temple of Jubilee Hills division of Khairatabad Assembly segment. TPCC vice-president Mallu Ravi launched the yatra from Shamakam Doddi village of Gattu mandal in Gadwal district.
During the padayatra, the Congress leaders interacted with people by visiting several villages in their respective constituencies and tried to know various issues pertaining in the villages and also about the problems the people are facing and assured them that they were going to exert pressure on the governments for resolving public issues.
Meanwhile, party sources said the padayatra was also aimed at highlighting the formation of Telangana state by the Congress government under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and also to revive their contacts with the party cadre and thus to bring the past glory to the Congress in the state.
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