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Jagan-Sharmila ties reach rock bottom over sharing of property
After dispute hit headlines, Vijayamma came up with an open letter, strongly defending her daughter’s claims over the properties and rejected Jagan’s sole propriety over the companies floated by him
The differences between YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his sister YS Sharmila, president of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee, over sharing of properties have reached an irreparable position with both the sides hardening their respective stands, people familiar with the matter said.
The petition filed by Jagan before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) challenging the alleged illegal transfer of 121,000 shares of Saraswati Power and Industries Limited in the name of Sharmila and their mother Vijayamma came up for hearing before the tribunal on November 8.
“But the hearing was postponed to December 13, following a request made by Vijayamma’s lawyer seeking some time for her and Sharmila to file a counter,” a senior political leader close to the family said.
According to this leader, more than the dispute over the share of properties, “it is the political stand taken by Sharmila that has hurt the ego of Jagan”. After the legal battle over transfer of shares came in public last month leading to allegations and counter allegations between the brother and sister, some family elders made an attempt to bring about a patch up between the two.
He said: “Jagan had agreed to completely transfer the shares in Saraswati Power and Industries Ltd in the name of Sharmila and withdraw the petition before the NCLT, but only on the condition that she has to go silent in politics, withdrawing all her earlier comments against him.”
The YSRCP chief also allegedly wanted his sister to retract her allegations against their cousin – Kadapa MP Y S Avinash Reddy in connection with the murder of their uncle and ex-MP Y S Vivekananda Reddy five years ago. Sharmila had accused Avinash of masterminding the murder and Jagan of shielding the MP.
“This would mean Jagan virtually telling Sharmila to quit politics and remain subservient to him. Since it is the question of credibility, she flatly rejected the proposal and decided to take on the legal battle, come what may. After all, she is also late chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s daughter and is equally stubborn,” the political leader quoted above said.
A week after the dispute hit the headlines, Vijayamma came up with an open letter, strongly defending her daughter’s claims over the properties and rejected Jagan’s sole propriety over the companies floated by him. “All the assets, including the companies floated by Jagan, are the family properties and Jagan was only a custodian of them. So, Sharmila has equal share in these properties,” she said.
Vijayamma alleged that Jagan had not involved Sharmila in his business activities nor had he encouraged her in politics. Sharmila had worked hard for Jagan in politics and played a lot of effort in bringing Jagan to power, she pointed out.
According to the leader quoted above, Jagan at present has the support of only a few close relatives like Rajya Sabha member YV Subba Reddy and Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy, who are the direct beneficiaries of Jagan in politics. “All the other family members of YSR have stood by Vijayamma and Sharmila,” he said.
After the latest attempts by some relatives and close family friends to bring about reconciliation between the siblings failed, Sharmila stepped up the attack on Jagan in the last few days. On Tuesday, Sharmila alleged that it was Jagan who was behind the abusive and obscene posts by the YSRCP social media activists against her on social media by his team.
She told reporters that Jagan had been patronising a “Satan army of social media activists” who were indulging in character assassination of political rivals and she was also one of their victims. She alleged that Jagan’s social media team had even commented on her character and attributed illegal affairs to her.
“It was Jagan who instigated posting of abusive, obscene and dirty comments against me, my mother Vijayamma and cousin Sunitha. If he had no connection with these messages, why didn’t he stop his party activists from posting such posts on social media? It clearly shows that these social media activists have done it with full knowledge of Jagan,” she said.
Defending the police action against such social media activists who had crossed the line of decency, Sharmila demanded that not just these venomous serpents, the police should catch anacondas behind them, whether it is Jagan or Avinash Reddy. They should arrest them and throw them behind bars,” she said.
She also found fault with Jagan for his decision to boycott the state assembly session in protest against denial of leader of opposition status to him. She said the people had voted for Jagan and his party MLAs expecting them not to run away from the assembly but to represent their issues.
“You were not get elected to sit at home and speak through your mouth-piece media. It is only because of your own wrong-doings that the people have not given you the leader of the opposition status. To say that you will enter the assembly only if you are given the leader of opposition status shows your foolishness and stupidity,” she said.
