Sonia angry with Jagan for his defiant attitude

The Congress president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, is so displeased with Jagan Mohan Reddy’s insistence on continuing with his Odarpu Yatra that she told the leader of another party who had called on her that she did not like the defiance of the party diktat being shown by the Kadapa MP.

Despite this, the Kadapa MP is firm on hitting the road on June 14 even if he doesn’t get the go-ahead from the party leadership for the Odarpu yatra. He had put off the yatra that was scheduled to resume on June 8.

Mrs Gandhi told the visiting MP that she did not like Jagan’s defiance of the party leaders. She reportedly spoke about a letter written to her by Jagan’s MLA mother, Ms Vijayalakshmi, seeking an audience with her.

Though the contents of the letter are not known, Mrs Gandhi apparently told the MP that the tone of the letter was not acceptable as it clubbed political issues and family sentiments. That, according to the Congress president, was not acceptable.

According to sources close to the MP who called on Mrs Gandhi, the Congress high command is in no mood to allow Mr Reddy to resume his Odarpu Yatra.

“We have asked him to support the state leadership and behave in a manner acceptable to party, but his adamant attitude and gestures have shown that he is not prepared to support the leadership. In such a situation how can we support his yatra?” Mrs Gandhi reportedly said.

The party high command is not going to consider any of Jagan’s pretexts or explanations till the time he apologises to the party, without insisting on being allowed to take up the yatra, said sources.

Mr Jagan, who was in Anantapur on Sunday morning to attend a marriage function refused to answer any questions from the media regarding the yatra. He only repeatedly asked: “Who told you the Odarpu Yatra will not continue?”