VIJAYAWADA: The ongoing tussle between State Election Commissioner (SEC) Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar and the State government took a new turn on Saturday with two Cabinet ministers serving notices to move Privilege Motion against the SEC accusing him of breaching their privileges by making libellous remarks and intimidating approach. Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and Municipal Admi n i s t r a t i o n a n d Ur b a n Development Minister Botcha Satyanarayana sent separate notices to the AP Legislative Assembly Speaker. In the notices, the two ministers said the SEC made several castigating remarks against them, which are libellous in nature and far from truth in the letter reportedly written by him to the Governor.
The tone and tenor of the letter is intimidating, the ministers said. “In his letter, he (SEC) alleged that I have crossed ‘Lakshmana Rekha’ and violated the Model Code of Conduct. Making allegations without any substantial proof amounts to breach of privilege. Being a senior member of the Legislative Assembly as well as a minister in the Cabinet, I have impeccable respect to all the Constitutional bodies and especially to the Election Commission.
But, to my surprise, Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar in his letter made several baseless allegations with ulterior motive degrading me as an MLA as well as a minister in the public eye with disrespecting language and intimidating approach,’’ Peddyreddy and Botcha stated in separate notices. The ministers said they would urge Assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram to summon SEC Ramesh Kumar to the Assembly.
SEC crossed Lakshmana Rekha: Botcha
Stating that casting reflections and making libellous remarks with threatening language against an MLA amount to breach of privilege, the ministers told the Speaker, who they said is the custodian of the rights and privileges of the members of the House, to take necessary action pertaining to the contents of the letter allegedly written by Ramesh Kumar against them to the Governor.“Ramesh Kumar has resorted to blackmail the ministers by threatening to go to court,” Peddireddy said, adding that he would urge the Assembly Speaker to initiate action against the SEC.
Speaking to mediapersons in Visakhapatnam, Botcha said Ramesh Kumar should quit the post if he is interested in politics. He is acting more like a political leader as he spoke about former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and CBI cases during his visit to Kadapa district though they are not at all related to elections. Raising the issues unrelated to elections shows the attitude of the SEC. Levelling allegations against the government is beyond his limits, Botcha said.
Condemning the letter written by the SEC to the Governor, he said it is the SEC who had repeatedly crossed Lakshmana Rekha with his vindictive nature and accused the ministers of violating their rights. The letter itself was like threatening the Governor, Botcha said, questioning the rationale behind SEC’s comments during his visit to Kadapa, which are not relevant to the elections.
Botcha said the person in the chair of the SEC must be impartial and work as a respected constitutional body. But in contrast, Ramesh Kumar has written a letter degrading the public representatives, who are part of the government. “We condemn the points mentioned in the letter and we are not new to politics. This is not my first time as a Cabinet minister. I served as a Cabinet minister twice earlier and served even as an MP. Similarly, Peddireddy is also a very senior leader and we are the ones who always obey the law and the Constitution with respect and never violate them,’’ he asserted.
Underlining the need to encourage unanimous elections for peace and harmony in villages, Botcha accused the SEC of holding press conferences against unanimous polls. Panchayat polls should be held without the involvement of any political party, which ensures development of villages, he asserted.