He is among the most silent of the politicians. He rarely speaks and when he speaks, it is almost always in mono-syllables. But these days, he is fast emerging as the most talked about politician in both the Telugu states. Not just that. He is quickly turning out to be mediator and moderator in most political disputes. Any guess who the leader is?

It is former Rajya Sabha member KVP Ramachandra Rao. Yes. KVP, once considered the alter ego of YSR, is now the most heard name in Telugu politics. He is said to be the link man between Telangana PCC chief Revanth Reddy and the sulking seniors in the Congress Party. When the seniors refused to attend Revanth’s swearing in function, it was KVP who convinced them and made them attend. He played the mediator between the high command and the senior Telangana Congress leaders .

Now several senior Congress leaders are raising a banner of revolt against Revanth Reddy. They are holding parallel Dalit Atmagourava rallies in their areas of influence and are challenging Revanth Reddy. Sources say that KVP is behind their actions. He reportedly suggested to them to hold rallies in their constituencies, but not invite Revanth Reddy. By doing this, they will be seen as obeying the High Command but ignore Revanth’s leadership.

Sources also say that the real brain behind YS Vijayamma’s September 2 meeting of former colleagues of late YSR is KVP Ramachandra Rao. Through this meeting, which will be held at Hyderabad, Vijayamma wants all the former colleagues of YSR, who are now in various parties and different positions, to be brought together. This move is likely to make YS Jagan jittery as his relations with his mother and sister have soured of late. Since the meeting is being held in Telangana, it is likely to benefit YS Sharmila, who is now politically active in Telangana.

Condemning a series of attacks on doctors, paramedical staff and ASHA workers in Telangana, Congress senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP K V P Ramachandra Rao on Friday called upon the Telangana government to strictly enforce the AP Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage of Property) Act in 2008 enacted during the Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy regime in united Andhra Pradesh.

K V P Ramachandra Rao, a doctor himself and considered as the inner conscience of former chief minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, said doctors are at risk on two fronts – combating the virus from the frontline exposing themselves to the contagion and facing constant attacks and intimidations from kin of patients.

Stating that those who perpetrate violence against doctors and paramedical staff should be punished stringently, KVP said the Telangana government should strictly enforce the Act enacted by Y S Rajasekhara Reddy to boost the morale of the medical fraternity.

The legislation prohibits violence against medicare service persons and damage to property in medicare service institutions. More significantly, the Act makes such offences against the medical fraternity cognizable and non-bailable. Persons who commit such offences shall be punished with imprisonment for a period for three years and with fine, which may extend to Rs 50,000. A similar law was enacted by Haryana and several States followed, KVP said.

Post-bifurcation of the state, the Telangana government renamed the original Act as Telangana Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Services Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2008, and strictly enforced it in two or three cases involving attacks against doctors and hospitals in Hyderabad. However, it is unsure if Jagan Mohan Reddy led AP government enacted the Act brought in by his father and former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in united Andhra Pradesh.

KVP’s comment comes in the wake of reports of doctors, paramedical staff and ASHA workers being attacked across Telangana. In Hyderabad, doctors and other medical staff were physically assaulted at Gandhi Hospital by an angry mob after the death of a corona positive patient. In Nizamabad and Adilabad, ASHA workers were attacked by locals when the health workers visited the area to screen residents for signs of novel coronavirus infection after some of the residents are believed to have attended the large religious congregation in Markaz Masjid in South Delhi’s Nizamuddin. Angry mobs refused screening and chased away the ASHA workers.