HYDERABAD: Days before the AICC cleared her ouster from the state Cabinet, Endowments Minister Konda Surekha had sought Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s intervention, alleging that she was subjected to “sustained political and administrative suppression” by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and sections of the ruling party.
On Thursday evening, Surekha released a 10-page letter dated August 22 that she had sent to Sonia Gandhi. The letter was also addressed to Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal and Meenakshi Natarajan.
A major grievance in the letter was the alleged curtailment of her authority as Minister. Surekha claimed that several important decisions were taken without her knowledge and that directions from the CMO had reduced her role to a largely nominal one.
She cited the constitution of the Yadadri Temple Trust Board and the transfer of funds meant for the development of the Sammakka-Saralamma temple as examples of being sidelined.
She also alleged that her former OSD N Sumanth was removed without informing her and was subsequently subjected to police action.
Surekha also alleged delays in funds for projects including the Smart City Model Bus Stand and Bondi Vagu development in her Warangal East constituency, claiming that several works had not received the same priority as those in neighbouring constituencies.
She objected to Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiyam Srihari holding a review meeting with Endowments officials without informing her, saying such actions undermined the authority of the minister concerned.
Surekha further alleged that local leaders and public representatives were being encouraged to act against her and that attempts were being made to politically isolate the Konda family in the erstwhile Warangal district.
She also alleged that different political standards were being applied to Congress leaders, referring to Revanth’s remarks on former MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy’s possible electoral plans and his appeal at Parkal for the re-election of MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy.
Another grievance concerned the show-cause notice issued to her over remarks made by her daughter, Susmita Patel. Surekha questioned whether a minister could be held responsible for the personal statements of a family member merely because she was the mother.
Despite her grievances, Surekha said her faith in the Congress, its ideology, democratic values and national leadership remained unwavering.
