Cong criticises TDP remarks on government representative

Hyderabad, Dec 3 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Government's Special Representative in New Delhi Mallu Ravi today denied the opposition Telugu Desam Party's charge that K V P Ramachandra Rao, a close friend of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was functioning as an ''extra-constitutional authority''.

Talking to newspersons here, he said it was TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, who had functioned as ''extra-constitutional authority'' when he switched over to the TDP from the Congress after declaring that ''he(Mr Naidu) has Congress blood in his veins''.

On the TDP's demand for a probe into the alleged ''ill-gotten wealth'' of Mr Rao, Mr Ravi alleged that the TDP was making ''baseless'' charges of corruption in irrigation and other projects only to ''divert'' people's attention from the all-round development initiated by the state government.

Adhering to the Constitution, Mr Rao had been appointed advisor to Dr Reddy on public affairs. Holding cabinet rank , he rendered valuable services to the Chief Minister on public affairs, he added.

He said unlike, Mr Naidu, who had been in the Congress, as long as it was in power and had declared that he would fight Mr Rama Rao in an electoral battle, Mr Ramachandra Rao, who had been a friend of Dr Reddy since his student days, was with the latter, whether the Congress was in power or not.

UNI