The searches on granite quarries in Prakasam district for the second day on Thursday kicked up a controversy with two Congress MLAs -- Gottipati Ravikumar and Buchepalli Sivaprasada Reddy -- tipped to join the YSR Congress sooner or later, terming them “politically motivated”.
A day after searching the mines of Mr. Ravikumar, who represents Addanki in the House, the mines officials conducted searches in Surya Mines belonging to Mr. Sivaprasada Reddy, who represents Darsi Assembly constituency, on Thursday.
‘Not a good practice’
On the searches conducted on Kishore Granites owned by Mr. Ravikumar, the legislator said,
“This is not a good practice in a democratic polity. I will not be cowed down by such pressure tactics.”
Congress leaders blamed
“Senior Congress leaders from the district are behind the searches,” alleged Mr. Sivaprasada Reddy, who had shocked the ruling party by taking part in the YSR Congress’ signature campaign against alleged “politically-motivated” cases against its party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on New Year day.
“Come what may, I will join the YSR Congress after calling on Jaganmohan Reddy,” he asserted.
Madhucon too
The other mines raided included the Madhucon Granites in which Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party leader Nama Nageswara Rao has stakes as also the Anand Granites owned by P. Anand who had unsuccessfully contested the 2009 Assembly elections from Ongole as the candidate of the Praja Rajyam.
On the searches, Mines Assistant Director K.Subramaneswara Rao said: “Each day a team headed by me and Assistant Director Vigilance V. Narasimha Reddy are checking about seven to eight mines each.
To cover 150 mines
“We plan to cover about 150 mines in the district in due course,” he said.
