Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy stated that the commission of inquiry, led by Justice L. Narasimha Reddy, was established due to the request made by former energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy on the floor of the assembly.
Addressing the media in New Delhi on Thursday, Revanth questioned whether former chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) and Jagadish Reddy opposed the formation of the commission, the inclusion of Justice L. Narasimha Reddy, or being summoned by the commission to testify.
“After Jagadish Reddy challenged the State government to initiate an inquiry under a sitting judge, we requested the chief justice to head the commission. We were informed that a sitting judge couldn’t be appointed, but a retired judge could lead the commission. Once we established the commission, neither KCR nor Jagadish Reddy raised any objections for three months. It was only after the commission summoned KCR that they started objecting,” Revanth said.
Highlighting the opportunity for KCR to prove his innocence, Revanth stated that the State government was willing to broadcast the event live. He added that Dr. Sanjay Kumar joined the Congress impressed by their commitment to implementing the crop loan waiver and the six guarantees. When they learned that Jeevan Reddy was upset, minister Sridhar Babu immediately intervened and brought the issue to the party high command. AICC general secretary K. C. Venugopal and TPCC in-charge Deepa Das Munshi discussed with Jeevan Reddy and assured him of his rightful position in the party.
Revanth noted that there were those hoping to see Congress face challenges due to Jeevan Reddy, but affirmed Jeevan Reddy’s dedication to the party and the state. “The party high command has instructed us to ensure that he and his followers are not adversely affected, and we will ensure that,” Revanth assured.
Regarding the induction of Jagtial MLA Sanjay Kumar into Congress, which had caused distress to Congress MLC T. Jeevan Reddy, Revanth explained that it was due to a lack of coordination within the party, which has since been resolved. Praising Jeevan Reddy for his contributions, Revanth stated that the party would ensure his respect within the party remained high.
Responding to criticism from opposition parties about some ministries lacking ministers, Revanth questioned if there were any issues with various state examinations, such as SSC, intermediate, or TSPSC exams. “Everything is proceeding smoothly, and we have a plan in place,” he asserted.
Addressing the Congress’s encouragement of defections from the BRS, Revanth reminded that it was KCR who initiated defections during his tenure and pointed out how KCR had predicted that the Congress government wouldn’t last a hundred days after coming to power, a sentiment echoed by the BJP.
