Congress leader Rao requests Hazare to visit Vijayawada

Senior Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao has requested noted social activist Anna Hazare to visit Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, where he alleged a statue of Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated by the latter in 2000 was demolished by the State Government in the name of development.
Rao, a former Rajya Sabha member, said he met Hazare in his native village Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednager district of Maharashtra and requested him to come to Vijayawada to "see the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, now lying demolished".
He said the demolished statue was inaugurated by the veteran social activist 16 years ago.
"Your visit will send a good message among the general public and the Government", he told the anti-graft crusader.

Rao, in a statement, alleged that in the first week of this month, a number shrines were also razed to build roads and other infrastructure facilities for Pushkar Ghats for the "Krishna Pushkaralu", a religious festival scheduled next month.
"...What was very shameful and more hurting is that the authorities have not even spared the statue of the father of the nation. What a sad situation," he said.