Congress workshop in Andhra on N-deal

By Venkat Parsa

New Delhi

Aug. 7: The AICC media training workshop in Hyderabad on August 16-17 aimed at reaching out to rural masses in a run up to the elections. Andhra Pradesh CWC member incharge M. Veerappa Moily said DCC presidents and spokespersons will take part in the meeting.

Clearly, Mr Moily signalled that the Congress has decided to go on a propaganda offensive on the nuclear deal.

Mr Moily told this correspondent that the Congress will be holding state-level conventions in all the election-going states and organise zonal level conventions in the other states. The party will reach out to the rural masses by translating the literature into vernacular language and by explaining to the common people how the nuclear deal was in national interest, as it would lead to energy security.

The Congress is attempting a two-pronged strategy. On the one hand, the party seeks to counter the criticisms being levelled by the Left and the BJP, while on the other hand, the party seeks to showcase the benefits flowing the nuclear deal. The benefits are aimed at beefing up energy security by raising the nuclear power in the energy mix.

The first training workshop was held in the city on Wednesday, which was addressed by AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee and national security adviser M.K. Narayanan, among others.