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YSRC MP revolts, seeks Centre’s security over threats to life from own party
In his letter written to the Speaker on June 18, Raghurama Krishnam Raju requested that he be provided security by central police forces in the wake of increased threats.
YSR Congress party MP K Raghurama Krishnam Raju on Sunday revolted against his own party by lodging a complaint with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla citing threat to life from his party’s leaders in his native district West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.
In his letter written to the Speaker on June 18, which was released to the media on Sunday, Raju requested that he be provided security by central police forces in the wake of increased threats. He also sent a copy of the letter to Union home minister Amit Shah.
“I have also written separate letters to the top police officials stating that I have been receiving calls from the YSRC leaders threatening to kill me if I entered my parliamentary constituency Narasapuram. But no action was taken till date. So, I had to write to the Centre seeking security from central police forces,” Raju told Hindustan Times.
He currently has a security cover of two policemen.
In the letter, the MP brought to the notice of the Speaker that he had strongly objected to the recent proposal of Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) trust board to sell a few properties of the temple, as it would hurt the sentiments of Hindu devotees of Lord Balaji.
He said he could not get the appointment of chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy so that he could personally appraise him of the consequences of the decision. “I also brought to the notice of the chief minister through the media a few more issues like steep increase in the price of sand by nearly 600 per cent, which paralyzed the construction activity,” he said.
Raju said following his statements, his own party MLAs from Narasapuram had started attacking him by burning his effigies and openly threatening that he would also be burnt to death if he visited his constituency.
“Because of these threatening calls from YSRC MLAs and cadre without any action from the police, I am frightened to go to the constituency without protection. I felt it is not safe to move with the security provided to me by the state government with two constables. Hence, I request you to provide me with armed security,” he appealed to the Speaker.
For the last few days, the Narasapuram MP had been making serious comments against the YSRC government. He alleged that caste politics had reached its peak in YSRC, while corruption and illegal sand and land sale had been rampant in the YSRC government.
Raju, who previously was with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), also said he had joined the YSRC before the 2019 general elections only after repeated requests from the party leadership. “It was because I contested from Narasapuram, the YSRC had won the seat with a slender margin. People had not voted for me on seeing Jagan’s photograph but because of my image,” he told HT.
Raju alleged that the YSRC leadership had instigated attack on him from his own community (Kshatriya) leaders. “This is very bad. I request the party not to create differences within my community,” he said.
Asked what his next step would be, Raju said if Jagan gave him an audience, he would meet him and explain the factual position as to how the party leaders were indulging in various irregularities and corruption. “It is up to him to take action,” he said.
