Hyderabad, July 11 (IANS) Continuing his defiance of the party leadership, Congress MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy Sunday went on with his “Odarpu yatra” in Andhra Pradesh to console all the families of those who had died pf shock following his father and late chief minister Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy’s death last year.
A worried Chief Minister K. Rosaiah Sunday met some of his cabinet colleagues, including Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasad Rao, amid reports that two ministers and some legislators were keen to join Jagan’s yatra.

Addressing road shows in Srikakulam district, Jagan lamented the decline of moral values in politics. Without naming Rosaiah or any other leader, he called upon his rivals to stop playing politics over dead bodies.

Though the yatra was scheduled to conclude in Srikakulam Saturday, he extended it by another day. His supporters said this was done as the yatra was running eight hours behind schedule.

Enthused by huge crowds welcoming him in every town and village he is visiting, the young leader decided to cover more areas on the request of local party leaders.

During the yatra, taken out in defiance of the Congress leadership, Jagan is consoling family members of those who died of shock following the death of his father in a helicopter crash last year.

“I am asking you, were they not workers of Congress party? Has anybody consoled their families?” asked Jagan while trying to justify his yatra.

Jagan Saturday hit out at the party leadership alleging that it was preventing ministers and legislators from joining the yatra.

Several senior Congress leaders Sunday hit back at Jagan saying he was damaging the party through his remarks. “When Jagan himself said his yatra is not political, then why is he keen to have ministers and legislators with him?” asked state Congress spokesman Tulsi Reddy.

Senior leader P. Goverdhan Reddy alleged that Jagan was trying to destroy the party through his yatra. He said people were being paid money for attending the road shows.

Another senior leader and Rajya Sabha member V. Hanumantha Rao said he was receiving threatening calls for opposing Jagan’s yatra. “I will not be cowed down by such threats,” he said.