Jagan Mohan was unhappy as they failed to counter TDP's allegations that his wife was involved in the Delhi liquor scam.
Published Sep 07, 2022 | 9:27 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 07, 2022 | 9:27 PM
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy vented his ire at Cabinet colleagues for not defending the government against Opposition attacks. (Supplied)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy did little to hide his displeasure with colleagues at the state Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, 7 September, even warning them that he could drop some ministers if necessary.
The reason for his ire? Their inability to effectively counter the attacks by the Opposition TDP and what he calls the “Yellow Media” controlled by the party.
He was especially irked, sources told South First, at the lack of any strong counter from his Cabinet colleagues to the TDP’s allegations that his wife, YS Bharathi Reddy, was involved in the so-called “Delhi liquor scam” that has embroiled the Aam Aadmi Party in the national capital.
Reminding his colleagues that a government means taking collective responsibility, he said would not hesitate to drop a few ministers and make changes to the Cabinet.
It was only in April this year that the Jagan Mohan had reshuffled his cabinet.
“It’s unfortunate that there has been no effective counter-attack from ministers to propaganda by the TDP and also the Yellow Media. You don’t react even when my family members are dragged into controversies by the Opposition,” the sources quoted Jagan Mohan as telling his colleagues after the formal Cabinet meeting was over.
“You should mend your ways or else I will not hesitate to make changes to the Cabinet by dropping a few of the ministers. Government means collective responsibility; it’s not my sole responsibility,” he said, according to the sources.
Jagan Mohan has never missed any opportunity to attack the Opposition and its “Yellow Media”. And he rarely minces his words when attacking the TDP and its chief, N Chandrababu Naidu.
Barring MA&UD Minister Botsa Satyanarayana, Energy Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, Irrigation Minister Ambati Rambabu, Finance Minister Buggan Rajendranath and Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy, few ministers have been very vehement in attacking the Opposition.
Outside of the Cabinet, only Jagan Mohan’s top aides — Rajya Sabha member V Vijaysai Reddy and government advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy — have been aggressive while attacking the Opposition.
MLAs Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani), Kodali Sri Venkateswars Rao (Nani), Balineni Srinivas Reddy, and P Anil Kumar, who were earlier part of the Cabinet, were known for their rabble-rousing attacks on Chandrababu Naidu.
In the April reshuffle, Jagan Mohan had retained 11 ministers given a chance to 14 new faces in his Cabinet 2.0.
The TDP and its social media wing have, for a few days now, been alleging that Jagan Mohan’s wife had a role in Delhi liquor scam.
“The CBI, in its investigation into the Delhi liquor scam, has found the involvement of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s wife, Bharathi. Trident Life Sciences is already facing charges in Jagan’s illegal assets case,” TDP’s official spokesman Moka Ananda Sagar had said last Saturday.
He also alleged that the family members of YSRCP Rajya Sabha member Vijayasai Reddy have close connections with the scam.
The TDP leader asked why Jagan Mohan was not responding despite the revelations made in the Delhi liquor scam where, he, his wife, and Vijayasai Reddy and his family members are involved.
All decisions taken by the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) in the meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy got the Cabinet nod on Wednesday. In all, the approvals are expected to net ₹1.25 lakh crore in investment and generate 60,000 jobs in the industrial, power and tourism sectors.
The Cabinet also ratified the decision to declare probation of the employees of village and ward secretariats and ₹20 lakh has been sanctioned to each secretariat for the Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam programme. Administrative sanction for one lakh houses under the Greater Visakha Corporation, including 3,750 houses in Anakapalle, also received the Cabinet’s nod.
As many as 21.3 lakh houses were sanctioned under the Navaratnalu scheme statewide.
