TPCC Disciplinary Committee Undecided on Action Against Konda Surekha, Chinna Reddy
Chinna Reddy urged the disciplinary committee to treat the matter as closed and withdraw the show-cause notice issued to him.
Hyderabad: The TPCC disciplinary committee on Saturday deferred a decision on initiating action against minister Konda Surekha and senior Congress leader G. Chinna Reddy for their alleged “anti-party” and “anti-Chief Minister” remarks, deciding to hold a few more meetings before determining the future course of action.
The disciplinary committee, headed by MP Mallu Ravi, deliberated for over three hours at Gandhi Bhavan on the replies submitted by Surekha and Chinna Reddy to the showcause notices issued to them. While Surekha sent her explanation through a WhatsApp message, Chinna Reddy personally handed over his reply to the committee in a sealed cover. Interestingly, both leaders sought withdrawal of the show-cause notices and urged the committee to put an end to the episode.
The committee also watched video clippings of Konda Susmita, daughter of Surekha, in which she made adverse remarks against Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and his family members. It also examined video clippings of Chinna Reddy making adverse comments against the Congress and Wanaparthy Congress MLA Tudi Megha Reddy.
After examining the material and the explanations, the committee felt that Susmita had “crossed the limits” in making adverse comments against the Chief Minister. It also felt that Surekha was at fault for not condemning her daughter’s remarks despite being the Minister in the Chief Minister’s cabinet and being a senior Congress leader. The committee decided to seek the opinion of Megha Reddy on Chinna Reddy’s explanation before taking a final decision on the issue.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Mallu Ravi disagreed with Surekha’s explanation that Susmita’s remarks were personal. He questioned why Surekha, as minister, had remained silent when her daughter was making remarks against the party, the government and the Chief Minister. “If someone speaks against the party, why did Konda Surekha not respond? According to the principles of natural justice within the party, she should have condemned the remarks. When remarks were being made against the government and the Chief Minister, why did she remain silent,” Ravi asked.
Ravi said the issue of Susmita’s earlier controversial remarks against Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and the Congress had been taken into consideration by the committee.
Referring to Munugode MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy’s remarks against the party, Ravi said no one had so far lodged a complaint with the committee on the issue and made it clear that the committee would take up the matter suo motu at an appropriate time if necessary.
Meanwhile, Chinna Reddy, in his reply to the showcause notice, denied making any remarks against the Congress high command. He said he considered the AICC and TPCC offices as “sacred temples” and held Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Congress AICC leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in the highest regard.
Chinna Reddy said there was no question of his speaking against them and that no such situation had arisen. He explained that during the past two years and eight months, he had only highlighted the difficulties being faced by “original Congress leaders and workers” and expressed the sentiments of leaders who had been carrying the Congress flag for nearly 40 years. He maintained that he had not made any inappropriate remarks against anyone and had neither the habit nor the need to do so.
Chinna Reddy urged the disciplinary committee to treat the matter as closed and withdraw the show-cause notice issued to him.
With the committee yet to arrive at a decision on either leader, it decided to buy more time by convening a few more meetings and examining the responses and related material before deciding whether disciplinary action should be initiated against Surekha and Chinna Reddy.
