Hyderabad: The Congress high command has decided to drop Telangana Minister for Forest, Environment and Endowment, Konda Surekha, from the Cabinet following her daughter’s recent outbursts against Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.
According to party sources here, the high command has asked the minister to resign after the Disciplinary Committee of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) recommended strong action for indiscipline.
The party leadership also reportedly chalked out a plan to sack her, if she refuses to tender her resignation.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is likely to inform Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla of the decision after his return from New Delhi later in the day.
However, those close to Konda Surekha claimed that nobody has asked her to resign. She continues to maintain that she has done nothing wrong and hence there is no need for her resignation.
The high command took the decision at the crucial meeting AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal had with top leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on Thursday following a series of meetings with the state leadership over the last three days.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Konda Surekha, state Congress president Mahesh Kumar Goud had separate meetings with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday.
CM Revanth Reddy and Mahesh Kumar Goud also had meetings with Venugopal.
Surekha had also met AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natrajan on Wednesday. Later, the minister told media persons that she conveyed to party leaders whatever she wanted to convey.
Asserting that she belongs to Backward Class, Surekha had remarked that there can’t be one justice for her and another for others. She said that Cabinet ministers from other social groups have serious allegations against them. “What action will be taken against them,” she asked.
She claimed that her performance as a minister is good and that there are no allegations of corruption against her.
Surekha said she was issued a show-cause notice for the remarks made by her daughter. “I said in my reply that she is married and independent and has the freedom to speak whatever she feels. I can’t be held responsible for what she speaks,” she said and found fault with the Disciplinary Committee issuing the show cause notice to her.
The minister demanded that the party issue notices to those MLAs and MLCs who spoke against her. She said those who were behind these MLAs and MLCs should also be identified and action be taken against them.
IANS
