Even as the Supreme Court notice-served ministers are at their wits’ end to defend themselves in the illegal properties case involving the YSR Congress party president YS Jaganmohan reddy, the Kirankumar Reddy Government is also in a fix over the issue not knowing whether to defend them or leave it to their fate.
Finding itself in a see-saw position on the issue, the government has begun consultations with legal experts to find ways to come out of the muddle.
Ministers P. Sabita Indra Reddy (home), J. Geeta Reddy (major industries), Dharmana Prasada Rao (panchayati raj), Ponnala Lakshmaiah (information technology), Kanna Lakshminarayana (agriculture) and Mopidevi Venkatramna (excise) and 8 IAS officials were served notices by the apex court on Monday after it admitted a SLP (Special Leave Petition) for hearing seeking investigation against the ministers too in the Jagan properties case.
The petition was filed by Nellore based lawyer P. Sudhakar Reddy after his similar petitions were dismissed by the CBI court and the AP High Court.
The apex court asked the ministers and the IAS officers why they should not be questioned by the CBI along with the IAS officials for their role in issuing various GOs which allegedly helped Jagan amass wealth in a quid pro quo arrangement with various companies.
The Government’s dilemma is clear. It can’t afford to drop the minsiters as most of them have strong political background. But the situation is getting murkier day by day for the ministers as the opposition TDP is taking advantage of the situation and gunning for their heads in the assembly.
For two continuous days, the TDP succeeded in getting the assembly stalled and adjourned by creating ruckus on the issue and seeking their resignation.
The ministers, who met the CM this morning, told newspersons later that they acted as per the rules in issuing GOs and were not concerned with the behind-the-curtain dealings. “It is true we were issued notices but we are not yet guilty in the case. Any how, we will respond when we receive the notices and read the contents,” they said. (J)
