Defiant Roja vows to fight back

Even as the Andhra Pradesh Assembly was preparing to corner her for remarks in the House, Roja, YCP leader, appeared defiant and asserted on Tuesday that the people would not believe the pro-Dalit stance being taken by the TDP government. Roja said the Dalits would never trust Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. While the recent happenings in the House centred around Ambedkar anniversary, she said if the regard for the founding father of Constitution was true, then the TDP rule should go strictly by the statute book. Chandrbabu was only feigning love for Ambedkar. Referring to ruling party's women MLAs and ministers demanding severe punishment for her remarks, Roja asked if they had such concern why didn't they act when Anganwadi women staff were being beaten up. Taking note of the Call Money racket, she said it was because of the government's not offering loans that forced the people to flock to Loan Money racketeers. On the pretext of giving loans, these loan sharks were pushing women into prostitution, she alleged. What was the government doing about it, she asked. On her alleged intemperate remarks, Roja said her language was the same when she was with the TDP. How could her speech be wronged just because she had joined the YCP? Roja questioned Chandrababu whether it was not true that he had acted as the middleman in the MRO Vanajakshi row? In the Rishiteshwari case, whether it was not true that those belonging to a certain social class were protected. What action was taken on Minister Narayana, who was facing several charges? She charged the government with a fall in values. Roja admitted that she had not subscribed to the backstabbing charge thus far, but the current happenings were forcing her to make a rethink. Roja added that if there was a vendetta against her, she would fight back.