In what is considered to be an attempt to discipline its leaders in Andhra Pradesh who are divided region-wise, the Congress high command on Friday issued notice to Information Technology Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy for “deliberately lowering party’s prestige” by criticising Chief Minister K. Rosaiah.
Mr. Reddy refused to withdraw his resignation when all his 12 cabinet colleagues from Telengana withdrew their papers following the announcement of all-party meeting on the Telengana issue.
All-India Congress Committee general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi, in-charge of organisational affairs, issued the notice asking Mr. Reddy to send his explanation within seven days. Mr. Dwivedi acted on the issue after he received a report from Union Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily, who is also in-charge of Congress affairs in the State.
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At a press conference in Hyderabad on Thursday, Mr. Reddy levelled serious charges against Mr. Rosaiah, accusing him of “partisan style of functioning,” and added that he was acting as the Chief Minister of the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions instead of the entire State.
Mr. Reddy also objected to the Chief Minister’s comment that Maoists had infiltrated the movement for a separate Telangana. He wondered why Mr. Rosaiah did not make a reference to the flight of investment from Andhra Pradesh when the agitation in the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions were at their peak.
“Why is he targeting the movement in Telangana and linking it to fears among the industrialists and cine industry?” Mr. Reddy said.
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