HYDERABAD: Former chief minister the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s Man Friday, KVP Ramachandra Rao, and Senior Congress leader and YSR’s bete noire V Hanumantha Rao had a heated exchange at a meeting of the newlyelected party corporators here on Monday.
The two Rajya Sabha members sparred over alleged non-cooperation of some ministers with Chief Minister K Rosaiah. The spat took place in the presence of the Chief Minister himself.
Ministers B Srinivasa Reddy and N Raghuveera Reddy left the meeting midway, saying they had to catch Venkatadri Express to reach Pulivendula where YSR’s widow Vijayalaxmi will be filing her nomintation on Tuesday for the bypoll. Seeing them leave, Hanumantha Rao remarked that they did not even bother to take permission from the Chief Minister. He went on to say that like YSR, Rosaiah too was doing a good job but that he was not getting the same kind of cooperation.
“It has been proved so time and again,” he reportedly said.
Taking strong objection to his comments, Ramachandra Rao sought to defend the ministers stating that they were all cooperating with Rosaiah and that they all had great respect for the Chief Minister.
“They left early to be on time for the nomination in Pulivendula,” he said, adding that the ministers had taken prior permission from the Chief Minister. Turning to Hanumantha Rao, he reportedly quipped: ‘‘It’s people like you who are creating differences.’’ To this, Hanumantha Rao shot back, saying he knew the past record of Ramachandra Rao and what kind of a role he had played.
A challenged Ramachandra Rao replied that he knew all about Hanumantha Rao. Not one to let go, the veteran leader asserted that his life was an open book. Intervention by other leaders finally ended their verbal duel
