Andhra unit demands MP expulsion

The Attack by Sakshi , the media group owned by rebel Congress MP Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy, against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi created tremors in the state unit of the party on Sunday.

The rank and file of the Congress in Andhra Pradesh demanded that Jagan be expelled from the party. State Congress leaders — including chief minister K. Rosaiah, his cabinet colleagues and MPs — condemned what they called a “ malicious campaign” against the party leadership.

Following a direction from the Congress high command, state Congress committee president D. Srinivas sent an emergency report to the AICC, with a detailed transcript of the report telecast by the Sakshi TV channel, which contained damaging allegations against Sonia.

Sources in the CM’s office said Rosaiah reportedly wrote a letter to the Congress president seeking action against Jagan.Hundreds of leaders and cadre also faxed letters to the AICC office, demanding Jagan’s expulsion.

Interestingly, a majority of those who demanded action against Jagan were once die- hard loyalists of his father and late CM Y. S. Rajashekhar Reddy ( YSR) and signatories to the “ Jagan- as- CM” campaign in the days after his father’s death.

Health minister Danam Nagender, who had demanded that Jagan be made CM, took the lead in organising a protest against him and demanded an apology.

“ It is clear that Jagan wants to leave the party and is making preposterous statements through his channel,” CWC member and MP K. Kesava Rao said.

The hour- long special story titled Hastagatham (indirectly hinting that the glory of the “ hand” is passé) was telecast on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the Congress. The Sakshi channel blamed Sonia for the “ sorry state of affairs in Congress” and described Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a rubber stamp.

Sakshi CEO Priyadarshini Ram denied the allegations against Jagan.