Humanism in politics is dead: Sharmila

Hyderabad, Dec 17, 2012: Smt. Sharmila, who has been undertaking Maro Praja Prasthanam Padayatra on behalf of YSR Congress Chief Sri Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, said that humanism in politics was dead with the death of her father Dr. YSR.

In a special interview to the Sakshi TV channel, she said that Dr. YSR always remained loyal to the Congress party till his last breath.  “Dr. YSR named all the welfare schemes after the late Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi besides catapulting the Congress party to power after 9-year hibernation through his historical Praja Prasthanam but in return his name was included as one of the accused in the case filed against her brother Jagan Mohan Reddy,” she said, adding this was the result of the death of humanism in politics.

The interview was telecast by the channel on Monday coinciding with her birth day.

She said she has been undertaking the Padayatra on behalf of her brother and YSR Congress party president Sri Jagan Mohan Reddy as he was jailed due to the Congress-TDP conspiracy and couldn’t carry on with his Odarpu Yatra.

Expecting to get bail in the Supreme Court, Sri Jagan Mohan Reddy had chalked out his plan to resume his Odarpu Yatra, Smt. Sharmila said. “But after the apex court refused bail for him, I thought of undertaking Padayatra on his behalf,” she disclosed.

“I met my brother in the jail and told him I would do anything for him including giving up my life. My brother just smiled it away,” she said and added the idea of Padayatra generated in her mind then only.

Getting into an emotional mode at times trying to remember her father YSR and her brother Sri Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Sharmila said like her father YSR, her brother also remained a loyal soldier to the Congress party till the last moment but he came out since he was not allowed to keep his word given to the families of those who died of shock or committed suicide with heartburn after the tragic death of YSR.

“Jagan Mohan Reddy didn’t come out of the Congress for power. He came out of the ruling party to keep his word given to the people,” Smt. Sharmila said, adding her brother then became a victim of the politics of conspiracy by Congress and TDP.

She said she never thought the target of 3000-km proposed for her Maro Praja Prasthanam Padayatra was a big task. Saying she has been missing her brother, Smt. Sharmila said she has been criticizing the Congress Government as it had watered down the wide range of welfare schemes introduced by YSR and the TDP for failing to play its main opposition role.