Defections led to unease among public: Congress leader Jeevan Reddy writes to AICC
HYDERABAD: In a strongly-worded letter to the high command, Congress MLC T Jeevan Reddy on Thursday expressed his disappointment over the migration of legislators from the BRS to the Congress.
“As against the stated views of Rahul Gandhi, our party in the Telangana appears to follow the same discredited anti-people, unpopular and decadent policies of the then KCR government in promoting and encouraging defections leading to loss of faith of people in democracy,” the MLC’s letter, written days after the murder of his loyal aide M Ganga Reddy in Jagtial.
The letter, addressed to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, former AICC president Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, says that the migrations have led to a sense of unease among the general public.
Mental agony
“People are voicing concern over the recent trend of the Congress copying KCR. Even the educated, intellectual and democratic-minded people are expressing their dismay at these developments,” the MLC wrote.
“I was shocked to find that our party admitted BRS MLA M Sanjay Kumar, who won against me. Sanjay Kumar coming into our party could not go down well with not just me but our cadre and I was under tremendous mental agony and as a result I thought of quitting as MLC. But the party high command assured me to keep my honour and respect intact,” the letter says.
He said that decision to admit Sanjay Kumar is patently against Rahul Gandhi’s Paanch Nyay, which stipulates immediate loss of the membership upon defection and is resolved to bring in consequent changes in the 10th schedule of the Constitution of India.
Jeevan Reddy said that those members who defected and joined the Congress were being given special treatment. “With a heavy heart, I point out that it was Pocharam Srinivas Reddy who was instrumental in divesting Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka as Leader of the Opposition, during BRS regime,” he wrote.
The MLC alleged that Bathini Santosh said to be a follower of Sanjay Kumar, brutally stabbed and murdered Congress worker Ganga Reddy.
Urging the Congress High command to guide him in his future political action, he said: “I look up to you with a heavy heart to guide me in my future political action in view of my long glorious political life of 40 years in my trusted Congress, particularly in view of the disrespect and to some extent insult meted out to me in the recent past.”