Delhi summons Kiran Kumar Reddy, Botsa Satyanarayana
Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana have been summoned by Congress bosses to New Delhi on April 4 to settle their differences.
According to sources from Delhi, upset over continuing reports of the duo’s feud, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has asked AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad to immediately intervene and broker peace between the two.
Congress leaders across the state are worried about fresh differences cropping up between Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy and Mr Satyanarayana due to ACB investigations into liquor shops allegedly owned and operated by relatives of the PCC chief.
Mr Satyanarayana had apparently even called up the Chief Minister and objected to the manner in which the investigations were being carried out in Vizianagaram. He had also gone on record that he had told Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy to do whatever he wanted.
Botsa complains against CM to Azad
In his capacity as minister for transport, Botsa Satyanrayana had twice objected to ACB raids in his native districts during Cabinet meetings.
Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, on his part, has categorically denied having a role in the ACB investigations in Mr Satyanarayana’s district and has told the latter that the ACB was doing everything as per law without any interference.
Mr Satyanarayana, however, is not satisfied with the Chief Minister’s explanations and firmly believes that the raids were instigated by Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy to show him in a bad light or the ACB was investigating in a fraudulent manner.
Mr Satyanarayana, who returned from Delhi on Sunday, reportedly told the party central leaders that he was upset with the way the state was being run and sought permission to quit his post.
“The party is facing severe crisis in the state on account of challenges ahead due to several by-polls, local body polls etc., at this stage if the Chief Minister wants to fix me in some cases by implicating my relatives, what purpose would it serve?” he reportedly asked Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad.
He told Mr Azad that there was an on-going ploy to demoralise and discredit his image as the ACB was under the Chief Minister's control. He also reportedly objected to the manner in which the ACB director general had gone public with a statement that the department would further investigate and unearth the real persons involved in the liquor business in Vizianagaram district.
"Are they (ACB) doing this in any other district in the state? Why is a Special Investigation Team appointed? Is it only to fix my relatives?" He reportedly asked the high-command.
A senior leader of the Rayalaseema region had recently told this correspondent in Delhi, "The high-command is very much worried about the differences between the CM and the PCC Chief, they are not at all happy. I hope they intervene and set things right."
Post new comment