Rajya Sabha MP Vijayasai Reddy, who issued a show-cause notice to Narsapuram Lok Sabha MP Raghurama Krishnam Raju, on Friday confirmed that the YSRCP party has submitted a disqualification petition against him.
Talking to the media after meeting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Vijayasai Reddy said Raju had consistently lowered the public image of the party by making anti-party statements. “The heart and soul of Raghurama Krishnam Raju is not with the YSRCP party,” Vijayasai Reddy stated. He said the YSRCP after much deliberations on the matter has finally decided to initiate stringent possible action against the Lok Sabha Speaker. Vijayasai Reddy said the YSRCP leadership gave utmost respect to Raju, despite this he has been making anti-party statements.
Vijayasai Reddy recalled that Raju was appointed as Narasapuram as the chairman of the Subordinate Legislation Committee. Vijayasai Reddy said while Raghuram Krishnam Raju claims to be the faithful soldier of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress party, his statements prove otherwise. “His words and actions are contradictory. He has been using most objectionable language against the party’s MLAs. It is not acceptable to the party. He violated the party’s internal discipline. Raju’s actions compelled the party to move a disqualification petition against him,” Vijayasai Reddy pointed out.
Meanwhile, YSRCP Mithun Reddy said the people should get ready for bypolls in Narsapuram even as Raju’s disqualification is yet to be approved by the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Earlier in the day, YSRCP MPs including Nandigama Suresh, Margani Bharat Ram, Mithun Reddy and Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu left to New Delhi in a special flight from Vijayawada. The MPs complained to the Lok Sabha Speaker that Raju was indulging in anti-party activities. Along with the disqualification petition, the YSRCP MPs also submitted soft copies of Raju’s public statements to strengthen their argument that the Narsapuram Lok Sabha MP was Raju making anti-party remarks to lower the party’s public image.
On Thursday, Raju dubbed the MPs flight to New Delhi a mere show. “The MPs and lawyers are meeting the Lok Sabha Speaker with the consent of the Chief Minister. MPs and lawyers flying from Vijayawada to Delhi to meet the Lok Sabha Speaker is a wasteful expenditure and an exercise in futility. The MPs could have mailed their grievance. Why take a special flight? This is nothing but a mere show. Ultimately, it is taxpayers money,” he criticised.
On Friday, Raju has already filed a petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court against show cause notice issued to him by Vijayasai Reddy. The MP argued that the show cause notice issued was misleading.
In his petition, Raju also contended that Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party has not constituted a disciplinary committee to take action against him. Earlier, replying to the show cause notice, Raju questioned its legal sanctity as the party was registered as Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party and not as YSR Congress Party under whose letterhead the show cause notice was issued.
“Please be informed that Anna YSR Congress Party is another political party registered with the Election Commission of India. The Election Commission of India has refused to register the name YSR Congress Party when we applied on May 6, 2015,” Raju had stated in his reply to the show cause notice. Further, he sought to know in what capacity Vijayasai Reddy has sent the show cause notice to him.
“I am surprised to see you designating yourself as national general secretary of our party which is Registered as State recognised party as per Para 6A of the Election Symbols Reservation and Allotment Order 1968.”
