Union Home Ministry assures police protection to Raghu Ramakrishnam Raju

YSRCP Lok Sabha MP Raghu Ramakrishnam Raju on Saturday met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State for Home Kishan Reddy and Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla in New Delhi.

In the separate meetings that lasted several hours, Raghu Ramakrishnam Raju explained in detail the current political environment in Andhra Pradesh. In his meeting with Kishan Reddy and Ajay Bhalla, Raju has expressed fears that there’s a threat to his life. Raju informed them that his own party MLAs in Narasapuram constituency were staging protests by burning his effigies and threatening him for raising certain issues. Raju had already written a letter to this effect to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

Further, Raju also informed Kishan Reddy and Bhalla that he was receiving threat calls from YSRCP leaders from his constituency. Raju also told them that YSRCP leaders were openly threatening that he would be burnt to death if he visited his constituency. His own party leaders were making threat calls ever since he had opposed a host of issues including the TTD’s move to sell some assets donated by the devotees, his opposition to making English as medium of instruction in government schools, sand mafia, land and liquor scams. After hearing his case, the Union Home Ministry assured to provide police protection to Raju.

Further, Raju demanded that Vijayasai Reddy unequivocally take back the show-cause notice issued to him. Raju on Saturday reiterated that he had to raise certain issues through the media as he could not get a personal appointment with Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. Since he was not getting an appointment with the CM, he was left with no option but to make the “suggestions” through the media with an intention that the issues will be resolved. “I will continue to be the faithful soldier of Jagan Mohan Reddy who is my beloved leader. But Vijaysai Reddy should stop his personal bias against me and withdraw the show-cause notice issued to me,” Raju said.

Earlier, reacting sharply to the show-cause notice issued by YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP Vijayasai Reddy, Raju sought to know if YSRCP has an internal committee to deal with inter-party disciplinary issues. Most importantly, the Lok Sabha MP questioned the legal sanctity of the show-cause sent by Vijayasai Reddy. In his response, Raju stated that the show-cause notice lacked legal sanctity as it was served under the letter head of the YSR Congress Party instead of the party name ‘Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party’ which is the registered name in the Election Commission of India. “Please be informed that Anna YSR Congress Party is another political party registered with the Election Commission of India. The Election Commission of India has refused to register the name YSR Congress Party when we applied on May 6, 2015. No request or communication was ever made for change of the name by our party as per clause 9 Section 29A of The Representation of the People’s Act 1951. I hope and trust you have taken permission from our beloved president Sri Jagan Mohan Reddy garu to use the letter heads with YSR Congress Party printed on it. Since the Election Commission clearly indicated to us not to use YSR on the letterhead and instead asked us to use Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party only,” he reminded the YSRCP leadership.

“Have you served this show-cause notice in the capacity of National General Secretary? If so, I doubt the authority vested to this chair with all regards as per the party constitution that was submitted by our party to the Election Commission of India. It is the byelaw of our party that we ought to be constituting a disciplinary committee ever since we intend to call ourselves a political party,” Raju had asked Vijayasai Reddy in his reply to the show-cause notice.

On Friday, Raju had also met the officials of the Election Commission of India. He had reportedly complained to the EC that a show-cause notice was issued by the party under the letter head of the YSR Congress Party instead of the party name ‘Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party’.