Apparently realising that her days in the Revanth Reddy cabinet may be numbered, Telangana Endowments and Forests Minister Konda Surekha has stepped up her attack on the Congress high command.
Surekha, who met AICC leaders including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal in New Delhi on Wednesday, later told reporters that she had no intention of resigning from the state cabinet.
Launching a strong attack on Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, she said she was prepared to face any decision taken by the party leadership.
“There is no question of resigning. So far, the high command has not asked me to resign. If the high command wants to remove me because of the pressure being exerted by Revanth Reddy, let it do so,” she said during an informal interaction with the media.
Surekha said she had already met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and submitted her explanation regarding the controversy surrounding remarks made by her daughter, Sushmita.
She said she had also submitted written explanations to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party general secretary K C Venugopal.
The minister said she had requested the party leadership not to hold her responsible for statements made independently by her daughter.
“My daughter is an independent person. She is married and is now the daughter-in-law of another family. She has the right to speak about her own life. Her life is her choice, just as my political life and that of my husband are our choices,” Surekha said.
She maintained that she had been performing well as a minister and that there were no corruption allegations against her. She said she wanted to continue in office and had conveyed the same to the party high command.
“I am working well as a minister. I have been working without any corruption allegations and with the intention of serving the people. I have requested the high command to allow me to continue in office,” she said.
Surekha also objected to the party seeking an explanation from her over her daughter’s comments.
“I will neither respond to nor endorse my daughter’s remarks. Many people speak every day, and Sushmita is one among them. It is not right to hold me responsible merely because she is my daughter,” she said.
The minister claimed that some people within the party had been made to level allegations against her. She said she knew who was behind the allegations but declined to name them, saying that doing so could create another controversy.
She argued that those who had levelled allegations against her should also be issued show-cause notices and subjected to disciplinary action.
“I have explained everything that I had to tell the Congress high command. The party leaders said they would consider the matter. I have also explained my position to Meenakshi Natarajan, who said she would convey it to the high command,” she said.
Surekha further questioned why action was being considered against her before any action was taken against the Chief Minister.
“If action has to be taken against me, action should first be taken against the Chief Minister,” she said, while also questioning Revanth Reddy’s reported assertion that he would remain Chief Minister for 10 years.
She also raised questions about alleged complaints involving ministers Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Bhatti Vikramarka’s wife, particularly those relating to alleged commissions.
“There have been many complaints regarding commissions involving Ponguleti and Bhatti’s wife. Why is nobody speaking about those allegations?” she asked.
Surekha also questioned the Congress leadership over what she described as differential treatment of leaders belonging to different social groups.
“I am a BC. Will there be one set of rules for me and another for people belonging to other communities? There are serious allegations against members of other social groups in the Cabinet. What answers will they give, and what action will be taken against them?” she asked.
She said she had already brought all these issues to the notice of Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other senior leaders in writing, and urged the party leadership to consider all aspects before taking any decision.
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