Tirupati Member of Legislative Assembly Demands Release Of Political Prisoner Varavara Rao

TIRUPATI: The ruling dispositions at the centre and in the state have been flexing muscles with one another over the release of Viplava Rachayithala Sangham (Revolutionary Writer’s Association) member Varavara Rao, who remains a political prisoner jailed at a prison at Maharashtra.

It may be recalled that the Tirupati MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) Bhumana Karunakar Reddy had recently addressed a letter to the Vice President of India, seeking the release of Varavara Rao from the prison, citing his age and medical conditions.

BJP’s AP affairs in-charge Sunil Deodhar took to Twitter on Saturday, demanding AP CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy to suspend Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy for making such a request.

In his tweet, Deodhar referred to Varavara Rao as a hardcore Naxalite involved in the planning of the assassination of the prime minister. “While Jagan posted photos of his meeting with prime minister Narendra Modi, his party MLA Karunakar Reddy wrote a letter to vice president Venkaiah Naidu, seeking his intervention for the release of Varavara Rao. Jagan should apologize to the public for what his party MLA did and should take action against Karunakar Reddy,” Sunil Deodhar had tweeted.

In a strong counter to Sunil Deodhar’s tweet, Tirupati legislator shot off a letter directly addressed to the BJP’s AP affairs in-charge, strongly reiterating his demand for the release of Varavara Rao yet again.

Underlining that his appeal to Vice President of India was in a personal capacity, Karunakar Reddy found fault with Sunil Deodhar for linking up CM YS Jagan to the issue.

“My appeal to the Vice President of India was to consider 81 year old Varavara Rao’s case on humanitarian grounds and intervene for his release. Along with Venkaiah Naidu, Varavara Rao and me stayed together in the jail about 46 years ago. That is why I wrote to the VP in a personal capacity. Apart from me, many scholars, writers etc have also written open letters, seeking the release of Varavara Rao, should they all be banished from the country?,” Karunakar Reddy questioned Sunil Deodhar.

Varavara Rao was arrested by the Maharashtra police on charges of involvement in the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case along with some other human right activists.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vijayawada/tirupati-mla-justifies-demand-for-release-of-varavara-rao/articleshow/77833773.cms