CCTV footage shows Ramesh Kumar meeting with Sujana Chowdary

Nimagadda Ramesh Kumar, who was removed as SEC by the Jagan government, has landed himself in a fresh controversy.

A secret meeting with two BJP leaders in a 5-star hotel in Hyderabad’s posh Banjara Hills has triggered a political row.

Ramesh Kumar in a clandestine meeting had met BJP MP Sujana Chowdary and former minister Kamineni Srinivas at Park Hyatt in Hyderabad giving much needed ammo to the YSRCP government to attack the former.

CCTV Footage showed Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar, Sujana Chowdary and Kamineni Srinivas walking into Park Hyatt separately. They then walked into a room in the hotel where they hustled for more than one hour. After the one hour meeting, the CCTV footage showed all the three walking out of the room separately.

The meeting raised questions on whether a constitutional functionary can meet political leaders, especially when Ramesh Kumar’s case is pending in the Supreme Court.

Ramesh Kumar was removed as SEC after he put off civic body polls citing Corona virus. The Andhra Pradesh government promulgated an ordinance which had cut short the tenure of SEC to three years from five years and in a tearing hurry appointed former Tamil Nadu judge Kangaraju as SEC.

The move was challenged in the AP High Court which had reinstated Ramesh Kumar as SEC. On it’s part, the Jagan government had filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court which had observed that the government cannot play with constitutional functionaries while turning down the plea to stay HC order reinstating Ramesh Kumar. Currently, the case is pending in the SC.

After the HC verdict reinstating Ramesh Kumar, Rajya Sabha MP Sujana Chowdhury said Jagan had brought shame to the AP government and dragged its prestige to the streets. “Where was the necessity to bring an amendment through the back-door (in the form of an ordinance) to change the term and eligibility of the SEC? The Jagan government received a massive mandate of 151 seats in the Assembly, now this does not mean that the government will disregard the constitutional framework and democratic norms. It is high time Jagan realised that his government should work within the constitutional framework and that his government cannot stretch beyond its limitations and should uphold the dignity of judiciary. He should come out of his monarch mindset and focus on the welfare of the state. At least now, he should put politics aside and seriously work towards putting the wheels of the economy on the right path,” Sujana Chowdary had advised.

In this backdrop, Ramesh Kumar’s meeting with Sujana Choudhury and Kamineni Srinivas has kicked up a new controversy with YSRCP leaders calling Ramesh Kumar a political stooge of the TDP and the BJP.

Further, the hush-hush meeting also raised concerns over privacy issues. Who leaked the video footage of the three leaders meeting in Park Hyatt which sees high profile clientele including film stars. Such selective leaks of CCTV footage is a breach of individual privacy.

It remains to be seen how this controversial meeting of Ramesh Kumar with the BJP leaders will pan out in the days to come.