Karimnagar: Two-term MLA and socialist leader Paripati Janardan Reddy, who was known for his struggle against the Emergency, passed away after a brief illness at a private hospital in Hyderabad on Tuesday. He was 87. He was jailed during the first Telangana agitation and was a philanthropist.
Janardhan Reddy hailed from Pothireddypally in Veenavanka mandal of Karimnagar district. He joined the Lok Sangarsh Samiti led by Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan and fought against the imposition of emergency by Indira Gandhi. He was the only MLA in Andhra Pradesh Legislature to oppose the Emergency and imprisoned for a year in the Musheerabad jail under MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) after he conducted a satyagraha against the Emergency. He was also imprisoned in Jagtial during the first Telangana agitation in 1969-70.
He was a giant-killer, defeating then education minister K.V. Narayan Reddy by a huge margin the 1972 Assembly election as an independent candidate. Janardhan Reddy contested against P.V. Narasimha Rao on a Janata Party ticket from Hanamkonda in 1977 but lost. The next year, he was re-elected to the Assembly on a Janata Party ticket from Kamalapur.
His work focused on education, health care, agriculture and rural development.
Janardhan Reddy established the Adarsha Degree College and a 30-bed hospital under the aegis of the Hind Kusht Nivaran Sangh (HKNS) and Ashrama Patashala in Jammikunta of Karimnagar district. He later handed them over to the government.
He also established rehabilitation centres for cured leprosy patients at Thanugula of Karimnagar district and at Redlarepaka, Malkapur, in Nalgonda district.
Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya called the family members of Janardhan Reddy on learning of the demise and expressed condolences.
