Telangana Minister Konda Surekha skips Cabinet meet amid row over ex-OSD

Hyderabad, Oct 16 (IANS) Telangana Endowments and Forest Minister Konda Surekha, who landed in a row over shielding former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) N. Sumanth over allegations of misconduct and corruption, stayed away from the State Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Surekha did not turn up for the Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at Secretariat.

AICC in-charge for Telangana, Meenakshi Natrajan, summoned the minister and her daughter, Sushmita, to MLA Quarters and directed them not to talk to the media.

Sushmita, who had accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and others of targeting her mother, told media persons that she stands by what she said last night.

Earlier, Konda Surekha met Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and discussed the issue related to her former OSD.

The Congress leadership has taken serious note of the incident that happened at Surekha’s residence in Hyderabad late Wednesday night when Sushmita resisted attempts by a police team to arrest Sumanth, whose services as OSD were earlier terminated by the government.

A team of Task Force police had arrived at the minister’s house in Jubilee Hills following a tip-off about Sumanth’s presence there.

Surekha’s daughter Sushmita confronted police officers in plainclothes and accused some senior Congress leaders of trying to malign the family.

Sushmitha refused to allow them into the house. She had a heated argument with the policemen and wanted them to show the arrest warrant.

Surekha, who was present in the house, reportedly came out with Sumanth, and they left in her car.

Talking to media persons, Sushmita alleged that some top Congress leaders were behind the attempts to malign her family. She said her parents were being targeted in a conspiracy.

Sushmita alleged that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s advisor Vem Narender Reddy, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and MLA Kadiyam Srihari were behind the conspiracy. She also alleged the involvement of the Chief Minister.

Sushmita said they came to know yesterday that Sumanth has been removed as OSD. Some allegations threatened an officer of Deccan Cements with a gun for extortion.

This incident allegedly happened in Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy’s constituency, Huzurnagar.

She said when they enquired with the Chief Minister’s advisor, Vem Narender Reddy, he said Uttam Kumar Reddy had lodged a complaint, but the minister denied making any complaint.

She claimed that the Chief Minister’s close aide, Rohin Reddy, was also present at the meeting with Deccan Cements and wanted to know why no action was taken against him.

Sushmita expressed the apprehension that those behind the conspiracy may try to force Sumanth to give a statement that he threatened a Deccan Cements employee at the instance of her father, Konda Murali. “It’s a conspiracy to arrest my father, Konda Murali,” she said.

Sushmita said a gunman of her father was already removed. He is a former Maoist. How can they scale down his security? she asked.

The OSD episode is seen as a fallout of the rift between Konda Surekha and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy over Rs. 71 crore contract for Medaram jatara works.

Surekha had accused Srinivas Reddy of meddling in the Medaram contract works.

Meanwhile, Surekha’s husband and Congress leader Konda Murali on Thursday denied knowledge of the controversy over her former OSD.

Talking to media persons in Hanumakonda, he also said he did not know what his daughter Sushmitha said in Hyderabad.

--IANS

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