Congress leader Bhatti Vikramarka starts 'Save Democracy Yatra'

Telangana CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka kicked off his party’s ‘Save Democracy Yatra’ in Pinapaka Assembly segment on Sunday. Earlier in the day, he offered prayers at the Sri Sita Ramachandra Swamy Temple in Bhadrachalam. The Congress party had announced it would go on a State-wide yatra to protest against Telangana Rashtra Samithi engineering defections of Opposition MLAs, including 12 belonging to Congress. Former MLA P Nageswara Rao and former ZP Chairman Chanda Lingaiah participated in the event. On Monday, the yatra will move to Kothagudem Assembly segment. Speaking at the event, Vikramarka said Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is ‘murdering democracy’ in the State. “He (KCR) is trying to rule the State like a dictator. This is dangerous to the spirit of democracy,” he said.

Vikramarka said KCR is luring Opposition MLAs by offering them large amounts of money and government posts. “The government in power should adhere to democratic values. But this is not happening. Statehood for Telangana was achieved after much struggle. A man like KCR, who does not respect the people’s mandate, does not deserve to rule it,” Vikramarka said.The Madhira MLA also expressed anguish over the way complaints to the Governor and Speaker, asking for disqualification of the defectors, had gone unheard till now.