After chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy sent out a veiled threat to health minister DL Ravindra Reddy on Friday that he should either fall in line or run the risk of losing the cabinet berth, the latter on Saturday hit back at him saying that Kiran Reddy used the cabinet to protect himself while recommending to the governor to dismiss the plea of the CBI to prosecute roads and buildings minister Dharmana Prasada Rao.
Speaking to mediapersons on the Assembly lobbies, Ravindra Reddy said the CBI did not seek the permission of the cabinet. “It sought clearance from the chief minister. Then where is the need for him to place the issue before the cabinet unless he wanted to make all his cabinet colleagues party to the decision if it backfires?” he asked.
He said he would wait for the governor’s decision on the cabinet’s recommendation before thinking of his next move.
Kiran on Friday said all ministers would have to back a cabinet decision whether they liked it or not or quit the cabinet. If a member of the cabinet keeps on insisting on dissent, the chief minister could drop him from the cabinet, he said.
DL Not at Fault: Botcha
At a separate press conference, PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana said that according to business rules, a member of the cabinet can voice one’s objection to a decision before it is approved. Once it is approved, one cannot question it.
There is no way a dissent can be recorded in a cabinet decision, he said, adding since Ravindra Reddy did not disagree after the decision was taken, he was not at fault. “He differed with the cabinet when it was in a proposal state,” he said.
‘Dharmana Only Implemented Cabinet Decision’
To another question, Satyanarayana said there was no way Dharmana could be described as guilty as he only implemented a cabinet decision while allotting lands to Vanpic project.
“When a proposal comes to the cabinet, it is always perfect in all respects and in tune with the policies of the government and the legislations in force. If any quid pro quo activity takes place behind the screens, it is outside the bounds of the cabinet and cabinet members cannot be held responsible since they would not even know of it,” he said.