New Delhi/Hyderabad: Cracking the whip,
Congress High Command today issued a show-cause notice to
rebel Andhra Pradesh Minister from Telangana K Venkata Reddy,
who had raised a storm by criticising K Rosaiah, even as the
Chief Minister came under attack from more party leaders.
Reddy, who has reportedly refused to get back his
resignation that was sent to party chief Sonia Gandhi last
week, has been issued the notice for "deliberately lowering
party's prestige".
The notice was issued by AICC General Secretary
Janardhan Dwivedi, who is in-charge of organisational affairs,
after he received a report from Veerappa Moily, Congress
in-charge of Andhra Pradesh. Dwivedi has given 7 days time for
Reddy to reply.
Reddy, who is the IT Minister, had yesterday hit out
at Rosaiah over his comments that Naxalites were involved in
the statehood movement, saying his remarks were affecting the
bifurcation of the state.
He had also said Rosaiah should behave like the Chief
Minister for Andhra Pradesh and not just for coastal Andhra.
The Chief Minister today came under attack from
Congress Working Committee member K Keshav Rao, who hails from
Telangana region and senior MLA R Damodar Reddy.
Rao criticised Rosaiah for not withdrawing "false"
cases filed by police against students and other Telangana
supporters.
Meanwhile, highly-placed Congress sources said the
party will send representatives from three regions of the
state -- Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana -- for the
8-party meeting convened by Home Minister P Chidambaram in New
Delhi on January 5.
They said APCC chief D Srinivas (Telangana),
Agriculture Minister Raghuveera Reddy (Rayalaseema) and senior
MP K S Rao (coastal Andhra) will represent the Congress in the
meeting.
Chief Minister K Rosaiah will also attend the meeting.
TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao had already announced that he
would attend the meeting.
The meeting is the first step in the consultation
process on the vexed Telangana issue.
Keshav Rao said: "The police cases should have been
withdrawn by now as the Union Home minister had promised to do
so."
He alleged the chief minister was giving an impression
that law and order was being handled by the Governor.
Damodar Reddy took exception to the complaint
reportedly made by Rosaiah against Venkata Reddy.
"When the minister has already offered his
resignation, does it really matter if you complain against him
to the high command," Damodar Reddy asked.
The current crisis in the state could have been
avoided had Rosaiah tabled a resolution in the assembly after
the Centre made the announcement on December 9, Reddy said.
"It is not proper for the Chief Minister and DGP to
say that Naxalites and ex-Naxalites have joined the Telangana
movement in full force.
He should not try to scuttle the formation of
Telangana by sending reports to the Centre or by speaking to
the media like this," he had said.
Reddy asked: "You (Rosaiah) neither introduced a
resolution in the assembly nor issued a whip to the MLAs. Are
you not responsible for this crisis by not tabling the
resolution or issuing a whip."
Rosaiah, however, received support from Health
Minister D Nagender who said the criticisms were uncalled for.
Several other ministers from non-Telangana regions
also found fault with the IT minister for attacking the chief
minister.
Meanwhile, TRS MLA T Harish Rao alleged that the chief
minister was hatching a conspiracy to remove Venkata Reddy
from the Cabinet.
"The chief minister is adopting double standards. He
complained to the high command against Venkata Reddy. But why
he is silent on the leaders from non-Telangana regions who
defied party high command," Harish Rao claimed.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, January 02, 2010, 00:28