VIZIANAGARAM: Following a directive of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh a high-level committee today started inquiry into the genuineness of the caste certificate of Congress Lok Sabha member from Araku ST constituency Y Kishore Chandra Suryanarayana Deo.
Deo was elected as MP from newly established Araku ST Lok Sabha constituency claiming to be a tribal. According to Congress sources Deo is actively being considered for appointment as Lok Sabha Speaker.
An advocate R Maheswara Rao from the town, lodged a complaint in October, 2008 that Deo was not a tribal, but a Kshatriya.
Based on the complaint the High Court directed the District SC/ST Dispute Committee, led by Joint Collector and comprising ITDA, RDO, Tribal Welfare and Vigilance officials, to inquiry into the allegations and submit a report.
Th e committee called upon the complainant Maheswara Rao and registered his arguments. The sources, said that the complainant told the committee that he had already informed the Congress party and the Government that Deo is not a tribal and he was a Kshatriya. He requested the committee to ensure that Deo does not take oath as an MP and added that he had enough evidence that he could submit to the court.
Kishore Chandra Deo also attended the inquiry and submitted his arguments. Speaking to mediapersons later, Deo said that he submitted evidence that he was a tribal.
The committee also started inquiry into a complaint against Parvathipuram Municipal Chairperson Narasimhapriya Thatraj. Former MLA Nimmaka Jayaraj filed a petition that Thatraj is not a tribal. During the inquiry, Jayaraj said that, earlier they won the case in the Supreme Court against Satrucharla Vijayarama Raju and how could Satrucherla’s nephew Narasimhapriya Thatraj claim that he was a tribal.
Thatraj requested the committee to give him time till June 19, to submit his arguments.