Jagan Mohan faces all-round flak for anti-Sonia programme

It was unexpected for both the Congress high command and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. While UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and prime minister Manmohan Singh were shocked with Jagan’s TV channel Sakshi airing a show taking the high command head on, former Andhra chief minister YSR Reddy’s son was shocked with the criticism coming from all ranks in the party.

Sakshi had aired a story on Friday saying Sonia had no control on her own constituency and was poor in her oratory skills. The channel even alleged that Manmohan Singh was acting as a rubber stamp and was not able to take his own decisions.

This show titled Hastagatam was not taken lightly by the Congress party both at the state and Delhi. Except for half-a-dozen ministers and Congress seniors sailing with Jagan in staging a revolt of sorts against the high command, the entire party stood against him.

“Without Sonia Gandhi, there was no YSR. Without YSR, there is no Jagan. The only qualification Jagan has to remain as a Congress leader is his father (YSR). Now, Jagan is using his media, particularly his TV channel Sakshi to attack the high command only with ulterior motives,” V Hanumantha Rao, a Rajya Sabha MP and a self-proclaimed follower of the Gandhi family, said.

“A story has been built up and broadcast. I condemn the broadcast. Even the worst of enemies of the party should not have done such a story. But, it is unfortunate that an MP from the Congress party is using his channel to malign his own party,” K Rosaiah, Andhra chief minister, said.

The offices of Sakshi in various parts of the state witnessed demonstrations y Congress workers, demanding an apology from Jagan for airing the show.
Jagan, on the other hand, did not respond till Sunday morning. He is currently carrying out an Odarpu Yatra (consolation tour) to console the families of those who had died because of the shock of his father’s death in a helicopter crash in September 2009.

However, Sakshi took a U turn on Sunday morning after the party leadership turned furious. The channel’s CEO Priyadarshini Ram clarified that the show was aimed at taking stock of the party’s situation on the occasion of the party celebrating 125 years. “It was not a story against Sonia Gandhi nor against Manmohan Singh,” he said.

The repeat telecast of the story on Sunday dropped the “objectionable” comments.

But, the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) had already sent a video recording of the story on Friday and its report based on the reaction of the Congress leaders and workers to the high command on Sunday.

“If he wants to be a rebel, Jagan is free to do so. But, he is too young to criticise Sonia or Singh. It is not proper to make use of his media establishments to take the high command head on in the name of freedom of press,” K Keshava Rao, another senior Congress leader, said.

The two media houses of Jagan — Sakshi Telugu daily and Sakshi TV channel — were always under criticism due to its source of investments. Both the establishments were started with investments from various industry houses, which were direct beneficiaries during the YSR regime.

After Jagan’s failed attempt to make to the CM post after YSR’s death, the channel, which was thought to be a mouth piece of the party, took a U-turn only to attack the party. The channel has been regularly criticising the performance of Rosaiah as the chief minister and the party leadership at the state level.
Now, the story is believed to be forcing the high command to take action against Jagan, though he has been spared on previous occasions.