By SNV Sudhir
Visakhapatnam, Sep 12, 2012: In what can be seen as an image building and damage control exercise, followers of senior Congress leader Dharmana Prasada Rao gave him a roaring reception at both Vizag airport and in Srikakulam on his maiden visit to his home town after tendering his resignation from the Cabinet here on Tuesday.
Mr Prasada Rao, who resigned as roads and buildings minister after his name was included in the CBI’s charge-sheet of illegal land allotment in the Vanpic case, for the first time on Tuesday, visited Srikakulam, his hometown and constituency.
Though his resignation was not accepted by the Chief Minister and AP Congress affairs in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad told him to attend his regular duties as minister, Mr Prasada Rao was keeping away from his ministerial duties.
Interestingly, 33 days after he resigned from the state Cabinet, Prasad Rao visited Srikakulam as a local MLA, not in the capacity of a minister. He used the protocol and security of an MLA. Flexi boards and banners with captions “Adarsa (Ideal) Dharmana” welcomed him at the Vizag airport. His supporters and followers welcomed him with huge garlands and flowers at Vizag airport with sloganeering.
From Vizag airport he headed for Srikakulam by road where a similar scene was witnessed. Addressing a jam-packed audience of activists at the party office in Srikakulam, Mr Prasada Rao, in a high pitched emotional speech, expressed innocence, saying that the Vanpic allotments was done by the Cabinet as a whole; this was amidst thundering applause by his followers.
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