Congress won't harm Jaganmohan

New Delhi: Days after warning of action against him, Congress today sought to mollify its defiant MP from Andhra Pradesh Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who is out on a controversial yatra, describing him as a "misguided youth" whom it would not harm or hurt.

Highly-placed Congress sources said the party wants to be patient with him as it is well aware of the fact that his father and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's sudden death was an emotional issue to him.
"His behaviour has not been normal. His father's accidental death is an emotional issue for him. It is also a loss for the party. He is misguided and undertaking steps (yatra) which should have been taken by the party," the sources said.

"We would not want to harm him or hurt him... the party is patient (on the issue)," the sources said.

The comments assume significance in the wake of Jagan defying the party High Command for the third time and resuming his controversial 'Odarpu' yatra on Friday last.

The party had warned of disciplinary action against Jagan if he went ahead with the third phase of the yatra in Srikakulam district but it now seems Congress is having second thoughts on its strategy to confront the son of Rajasekhara Reddy.


Though Jagan has been maintaining that the yatra was his personal obligation, Congress took it as a show of strength and defiance by the Kadapa MP and asked all its lawmakers to keep away from his yatra.

Andhra Pradesh is the only major state where Congress is in power on its own and the good showing in the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections ensured that the party came back to power at the Centre.

Already, the issue of separate Telangana has divided the party on regional lines bringing worries to the central leadership and therefore the High Command is going the extra mile to placate Jagan whose yatra received a good response from the public.