In a big shock to YSRCP Lok Sabha MP from Narsapuram Raghurama Krishnam Raju, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Bira has removed him as the chairman of the Subordinate Legislation Committee. A notification to this effect was released by the Lok Sabha Speaker.
The Lok Sabha Speaker appointed YSRCP Lok Sabha MP from Machilipatnam Vallabhaneni Balashowri as the chairman of the Subordinate Legislation Committee with effect from October 9. Additionally, the Lok Sabha Speaker appointed members to the Subordinate Legislation Committee, including Telangana Lok Sabha MP Nama Nageshwar Rao. Nageswara Rao ran infrastructure company Madhucon Projects. Other members of the committee include
The Lok Sabha Speaker cracked the whip on Raghurama Krishnan Raju after a group of MPs led by Rajya Sabha MP Vijayasai Reddy moved a disqualification petition against Raju for allegedly violating the party discipline by openly commenting against the party president, opposing the policy decisions of the government, making wild allegations against party MPs and even questioning the status of the party. The YSRCP MPs submitted a memorandum to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla in New Delhi. The memorandum was signed by YSRC MP from Rajahmundry Margani Bharat on behalf of president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Vijaysai Reddy also had issued a show-cause notice to Raju. On his part, Raju has questioned the legal sanctity of the show-cause notice stating that the show-cause notice was served on YSR Congress party letterhead, while the part’s name as per the EC records is registered as Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party. Raju had also moved the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking to stall the attempts of the YSRC to disqualify him from the Lok Sabha membership and suspend him from the party.
With the Lok Sabha Speaker removing Raju as the chairman of the Subordinate Legislation Committee, it remains to be seen if the Lok Sabha MP will be disqualified. That is the big questions doing the rounds in political circles.
The CBI had recently booked Raju in connection with an alleged loan default case. The CBI had registered based on a complaint from Punjab National Bank, against the borrower, power company Ind Barath, allegedly causing a loss of approximately Rs 826 crore to Punjab National Bank and other consortium banks.
Raju has been critical of the YSRCP government over a host of issues, including the government’s plans to introduce English medium education in all the government schools, opposed the auction of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam’s properties, and raised the alleged diversion of sand for sale in the black market. Raju often claimed that he was never given an audience by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to discuss these issues.
