Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana on Monday expressed serious concern over the hurling of chairs by party workers against Nagarkurnool MP Manda Jagannadham at a party meeting in Mahbubnagar district on Sunday.
Talking to media persons at Gandhi Bhavan, the PCC chief termed the incident as ‘unfortunate’ and stated that the party would view it as very serious matter and initiate serious action against those responsible for the incident. He said that a fact finding committee has been set up under the presidentship of District Congress Committee Obaidullah. Based on the committee’s report, the PCC would initiate action against the violators of party discipline.
However, he said that the incident was an internal party matter and appealed to Jagannadham to withdraw the police complaint that he lodged against those party workers.
According to sources, trouble started when Jagannadham took potshots at the district party leaders and Minister D K Aruna for not taking the Telangana movement forward. He said because of some leaders’ stand on Telangana, the party was facing a tough time in the region. Angered by his remarks, Aruna’s followers shouted slogans against Jagannadham and hurled chairs at him. He was whisked away and soon supporters of both groups hurled chairs at each other.
Later in the evening, he met the District Superintendent of Police to lodge a formal complain against Minister Aruna. In his police complaint, the MP alleged that the attack was part of efforts being made by his rival camp to eliminate him. He demanded that the minister be dismissed from the cabinet and called her an ‘anti-dalit’. He also demanded that the police book cases under the SC/ST Atrocities Act against the minister and her supporters. (INN)