HYDERABAD: The internal differences among senior Congress leaders have once again come to the fore following the appeal filed by 12 TRS MLAs challenging the annulment of expulsion of two Congress members, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and SA Sampath Kumar, from the state Assembly was dismissed by a division bench of the High Court on Monday.
Soon after the court’s verdict, Venkat Reddy went ballistic at Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader K Jana Reddy and TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy for their alleged failure to exert pressure on the state government and state Assembly authorities to implement the single judge’s order delivered earlier.
“Sampath and I did not stage protests in the House during the governor’s address for our personal needs. We raised our voice on behalf of the Congress to highlight people’s issues. I don’t understand why the state Congress leadership, particularly Jana Reddy and Uttam, had not taken up agitations in our support even though AICC leadership extended all possible help to us. The decision taken to resign en masse was not implemented then,” Venkat Reddy said. He wanted to know why Jana Reddy, being CLP leader, was not going aggressively against the “undemocratic policies” of the TRS government.
Recalling the brutal murder of Congress leader Boddupalli Srinivas, husband of Nalgonda municipal chairperson B Lakshmi, he said, “Even though my close aide was murdered, I couldn’t take it up effectively as I failed to get enough support from the state party leadership,” Reddy said and asked all Congress MLAs, including Jana Reddy and Uttam, to quit if the Assembly authorities failed to honour the latest verdict of the court on “expulsions” by Tuesday.
“Later, refuting Venkat Reddy’s charges, Jana Reddy said he had never behaved like that. “I would be the first to quit the Assembly if the party high command decides so. Some members (Komatireddy) of my party may be criticising me as they are under severe pressure. I won’t find fault with their attitude. But, as CLP leader, I provided all possible help to the two expelled members. The issue of resigning from Assembly has not been discussed in the party. In stead of making open comments, he should discuss such issues on party fora.”