Hyderabad, November 16: Serious differences cropped up between Telangana and Andhra MPs over the way Polavaram project is sought to be executed with both sides shouting at one another at a meeting called by Andhra Rajya Sabha member N Janardhan Reddy at his residence in Delhi today.
According to sources, the Telangana MPs – Ponnam Prabhakar, G Vivek, V Hanumantha Rao and K Keshava Rao – were taken aback when Eluru MP Kavuri Sambasiva Rao began making ‘cheap’ comments on tribals whose habitations are likely to be submerged after the execution of the project.
The Telangana MPs said they went to the meeting only to tell our Andhra counterparts that they were not opposed to Polavaram per se but were concerned about the tribal areas which would be inundated if the project is implemented in its present form. Though there was bonhomie initially, Sambasiva Rao began questioning why Telangana MPs should bother about tribals who do not even wear clothes or wear only loin cloth or gochis.
One Telangana MP said: “The way Sambasiva Rao spoke about tribals irritated us and we had to give him back in equal measure. We told him to have decency while referring to tribals and not make attempts to force the project on Telangana people.” Soon tempers ran high with most of the Telangana MPs shouting at their Andhra counterparts and then all of them left the place in a huff.
According to sources, Janardhan Reddy who felt that it would be beneficial for him if he remained in the limelight during troubled times in the Congress, had organised the meeting with the help of another MP JD Silam. Rajahmundry parliamentarian Vundavalli Arun Kumar was among those present.
–Agencies