The Congress on Thursday came down heavily on two senior legislators for publicly accusing Chief Minister YS Rajashekhara Reddy of "blackmailing" them into "silence" on the water issue in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh.
Reddy and Digvijay Singh, All India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh, met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday to apprise her of the act of "indiscipline" committed by P Janardhana Reddy and Shashidhar Reddy.
After the meeting, Singh shot off a strongly worded letter to the senior MLAs. He warned them not to make such public statements otherwise he would have no option but to "take strong disciplinary action" against them, sources said.
The two legislators have accused the CM of constructing the Pothireddypadu regulator head to divert the Krishna river flood waters from the Telangana region to his area in Rayalseema.
Janardhana is a former Congress legislature party leader who has been twice suspended by the party. Shashidhar, who is the son of former Andhra chief minister Chenna Reddy, is a member of the National Disaster Management Authority set up by the UPA government at the Centre.
Along with the letter that was sent to the Reddy duo, Singh also enclosed a copy of the JR Malhotra report that justified the construction of the Pothireddypadu regulator head while suggesting the establishment of a mechanism involving all stake holders. Singh also wrote to the chief minister directing him to "categorically" set up the mechanism.
{{/usCountry}}Along with the letter that was sent to the Reddy duo, Singh also enclosed a copy of the JR Malhotra report that justified the construction of the Pothireddypadu regulator head while suggesting the establishment of a mechanism involving all stake holders. Singh also wrote to the chief minister directing him to "categorically" set up the mechanism.
{{/usCountry}}Email Saroj Nagi: snagi@hindustantimes.com