New Delhi, November 23: Amidst a deepening crisis over corruption allegations, the Congress leadership is faced with yet another dilemma—whether to take action against its enfant terrible from Andhra Pradesh,YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Jagan Mohan Reddy or let it pass.
The party has already received a report on the ill-timed salvo that Jagan-owned Sakshi TV fired at the party’s top leadership — Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, accusing them of ruining the party’s prospects across the country.
What’s worse, the news report was pegged on the 125th anniversary of the Congress.
Confirming that he has received reports from Chief Minister K Rosaiah and Pradesh Congress Committee, Law Minister Veerappa Moily said, “It is a very serious issue. We’ll look into the reports thoroughly.’’ Though much depends on how Rosaiah presents the case when he reaches Delhi on Tuesday, the Congress leaders displayed typical indecision on Jagan. While Moily refused to commit himself, Rajya Sabha MP Keshava Rao said, “we don’t take him seriously enough that we’ll get agitated. Who is he? just a young boy!’’ The Congress dilemma was clear. Even as the party would want to fix Jagan’s waywardness and his repeated moves to embarrass the Central leadership and the CM, it would not like to make a martyr of him.
A senior party leader said, “we cannot possibly see him in the light of news reports aired on a local TV channel. Strictly speaking, it can’t be bracketed as anti-party activity. The same channel is singing praises today.’’
–Agencies