YSR Cong eyes privilege notice against Naidu
The YSR Congress plans to serve a privilege notice against Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for making “baseless allegations” against the opposition party and denigrating the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
V Vijay Sai Reddy, Rajya Sabha MP of the YSR Congress, said he will carry out his threat in a couple of days. “Naidu has clearly violated parliamentary rules and the Constitution by casting aspersions on the PMO. He also resorted to breach of privilege by questioning my right as an MP to meet the Prime Minister,” he added.
To drive home his point, Sai Reddy cited the chief minister’s remark in the state legislative council that the PMO has become an “adda” (haven) of criminals. “This amounts to denigrating the office of the Prime Minister,” he said.
Naidu, also the president of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), had then proceeded to criticise Sai Reddy for declaring that he would continue to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi until the chief minister was thrown into jail for alleged corruption. “What message are they sending by entertaining the accused no. 2 in as many as 11 criminal cases?” Naidu asked, adding that the PMO was free to let Sai Reddy’s family stay on its premises if it so desired.
Sai Reddy took strong exception to the chief minister’s comments. “Casting aspersions on the Prime Minister and me amounts to a clear breach of privilege. Not counting the cases against me that are still in the trial stage, I have every right as an MP to meet the Prime Minister to present various issues concerning the state (including special category status) and allegations of corruption against Naidu and his party colleagues. What’s wrong with that?” he asked.
The TDP responded sharply to Sai Reddy’s threat to serve the privilege notice.
“The YSR Congress MP is making wild allegations against Naidu with the backing of the Prime Minister. We are not scared of such privilege and legal notices. It is a known fact that Sai Reddy is making the rounds of the PMO simply to wriggle out of CBI cases and safeguard his ill-gotten money,” ruling party legislator GV Anjaneyulu said.
Anjaneyulu also alleged that the YSR Congress was trying to target the TDP in collusion with the central government.
“It is quite clear from Sai Reddy’s reaction that the switch of YSR Congress president YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s fan (the opposition party’s election symbol) is in Modi’s hands,” he said.
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