VIJAYAWADA: Picking holes in the showcause notice issued to him by the YSRC on Wednesday, Narsapuram MP K Raghurama Krishna Raju on Thursday asked how the notice was issued on the ‘YSR Congress Party’ letterhead when the party’s name is ‘Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party’ as per the Election Commission of India. He wondered how Vijayasai Reddy could designate himself the ‘national general secretary’ when the YSRC was only a ‘state recognised party.’
In his “reply, and not response” to the show-cause notice issued to him for allegedly crossing the party line, Raju sought clarifications on certain issues. “Firstly, the letterhead with YSR Congress Party, instead of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party, itself lacks legal sanctity,” the MP observed. He added that Anna YSR Congress Party was another political party registered with the ECI, which was why the request for the name YSR Congress Party was refused when applied in May 2015.
“Secondly, I am surprised to see you (Vijayasai Reddy) designating yourself as the national general secretary of our party which is a Registered State Recognised party as per Para 6A of the Election Symbols Reservation and Allotment Order, 1968,’’ he said. Thirdly, he questioned the authority vested with the national general secretary to serve the notice. “As per the party by-law, we should have constituted a disciplinary committee,” he said sought to know whether the same was formed and brought to the notice of the ECI and whether the poll panel notified it.
He further asked who is the Chairman and members of the committee, if there is a one, and asked Vijayasai to share the minutes of the meeting of the committee with him to promptly respond to the notice. “I hope you have taken the permission of party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to use the letterhead with YSR Congress Party printed on it. The ECI clearly indicated us not to use YSR on the letterheads and instructed us to use Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party only,’’ he said. Raju said that he will respond to the show-cause notice only if it is established that there is a disciplinary committee in the party.
In a sharp attack on Vijayasai Reddy, the MP said, “I request you not to harm the existence of the party. You are causing more harm to the party than anyone else by violating rules.” The YSRC on Wednesday issued a show cause notice to the rebel MP for publicly adopting a stand “discordant with the party line.” It gave the Lok Sabha member a weeks time to respond, failing which the YSRC and its parliamentary party would take action against him as per law.