HYDERABAD: Endowments Minister Konda Surekha on Wednesday said that if a section of Telangana Congress leaders was demanding disciplinary action against her, similar action should first be considered against Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for repeatedly making statements on his continuation in the post and announcing party candidates for future elections.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Surekha pointed to Revanth’s repeated statements that he would remain chief minister for 10 years and his remarks about party candidates for the next elections. She questioned whether such statements, made without a decision from the Congress high command, could also be viewed as anti-party conduct.
Her remarks came against the backdrop of calls by a section of Telangana Congress leaders for disciplinary action against her over comments made by her daughter Sushmita.
Surekha said that if action was being sought against her, the party should first examine the conduct of Revanth and other leaders. She also referred to complaints against Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and the wife of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and questioned why similar demands for action had not been made against them.
I have backing of BC community: Surekha
“Several leaders, including so many Reddy leaders, have been speaking. Why has no action been taken against them?” she asked.
Surekha also warned of a possible consolidation of BC groups if action was taken against her. Pointing out that her husband belongs to the Munnuru Kapu community and she is a Padmasali, she said the two communities together account for 16% of the votes in Telangana. “All the BCs in the state will be united if any action is taken against me,” she said.
She alleged that she was being targeted because she belongs to the Backward Classes and questioned whether the party was adopting different standards while dealing with BC and non-BC leaders. “There are several allegations against non-BC leaders in the party. Are there two types of approaches towards BC and non-BC leaders?” she asked.
Surekha said the party had not sought her resignation as a minister. She also said she had written to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and given copies of the letters to other leaders.
Surekha met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan in Delhi and said she had explained her position to them. She said the party had not sought any clarification from her. “As a member of the AICC, I met them,” she said.
She said she could not meet AICC general secretary KC Venugopal as he was busy. According to Surekha, Kharge told her after hearing her version that the party would consider the matter and set things right. “I do not know what decision the party high command will take,” she said.
On comments made by her daughter Sushmita, Surekha maintained that she could not be held responsible for the views of an adult, married woman living independently.
“Sushmita is a married woman and leading her own life. I am not responsible for the comments made by my daughter. Why did the party issue a show-cause notice to me?” she asked.
Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s comments on the position of women and their independence, Surekha said her daughter was entitled to express her views independently. “My daughter is an independent woman and she talks as per her wish. I cannot say no to my daughter, as her life is her choice,” she said.
Surekha also claimed that she was performing well as a minister and that there were no corruption charges against her. She alleged that some leaders were behind the MLAs and MLCs who had spoken against her and demanded that the party issue show-cause notices to them for making adverse remarks against a Congress minister. She said the show-cause notice issued to her was wrong.
Asked about corruption allegations made against the government by her daughter, Surekha said several people had made such statements and that Sushmita was among them.
