Hyderabad:
Andhra Pradesh Congress MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday appeared defiant as he announced his decision to go ahead with his controversial yatra from July 8 despite party chief Sonia Gandhi's reservations about it.
Jagan, who defied the party directive against undertaking the yatra earlier, had met Gandhi along with his family members on June 29 to seek her permission for the tour. The meeting took place in New Delhi on the request of Jagan's mother Vijayalakshmi.
"We explained to her the need to resume the yatra to console the family members of those who died following the death of my father (YSR Reddy). She (Sonia Gandhi) did not cite any specific reason but did not appear to be favourably inclined over resuming the yatra," Jagan, son of late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, said in an open letter to the people.
During the meeting of his family members with Gandhi, the Congress chief had suggested assembling the affected families at one place to console them and also to offer financial assistance, the young Lok Sabha MP said.
"But my mother pointed out that it is not a good tradition to call them instead of my going there for consoling. She reminded Sonia Gandhi that she had come to Hyderabad to console us after the death of my father," he said.
Regretting that his yatra came under the shadow of political controversies, Jagan Mohan, the Kadappa MP, said he waited patiently so as not to be misunderstood.
Jagan would pay tributes to his father at Idupulapaya, the family estate where he was buried, tomorrow and later proceed to Ichapuram in Srikakulam district on July 8 to resume his tour.
Defying the Congress high command's directive, Jagan had left by train to start his yatra in Warangal district on May 28 but it was marred by violent protests from Telangana supporters.
Later, he met AICC General Secretary Veerappa Moily, in-charge of Congress affairs in Andhra Pradesh, and claimed after the meeting that the high command has approved of his yatra. The claim was, however, dismissed by Moily.
Subsequently, Jagan, his mother and sister met Gandhi in a bid to secure permission to undertake the yatra.