The Hindu : Front Page : Mistake over ground for cases against MLAs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

Mistake over ground for cases against MLAs

Special Correspondent

Damage control exercise by YSR and Major Irrigation Minister

HYDERABAD: In a damage control exercise, the Congress Government changed the entire basis of its complaint against the Telugu Desam MLAs for allegedly producing "forged and fabricated documents" to substantiate its charges of corruption in the Yellampalli (Sripadasagar) irrigation tenders.

Faced with the prospect of the controversy becoming a confrontation between the legislature and the executive, the Government admitted that it had committed a mistake in filing a complaint with Director-General of Police Swaranjit Sen by citing the proceedings during the budget session of the Assembly. Consequently, it had altered the complaint by stating that the Telugu Desam had released these `fabricated' documents at a press conference.

Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Minister for Major Irrigation Ponnala Laxmaiah held hurriedly convened press conferences separately on Monday evening and admitted to the mistake. However, Dr. Reddy described as " a small lapse" the original complaint filed by Principal Secretary, Irrgation, C. V. S. K. Sarma citing the 35-page document submitted to Speaker K. R. Suresh Reddy.

The Chief Minister said the Government was fully condoning the mistake of the officials. They might have glossed over the intricacies involved in bringing the Assembly into the picture as they were focussed on enhancing the prestige of the Government.

Asked if the reservations expressed by Mr. Suresh Reddy about the attempts to drag the Assembly proceedings in litigation had weighed on the Government in changing its earlier stand, Dr. Reddy said the Speaker had only pointed out some technical problems.

In any case, Dr. Reddy said the Government was acting in tune with the demand of the TDP which wanted that the proceedings of the Assembly be made immune to litigation. The party had challenged the Government to book cases on a ground other than the Assembly proceedings.

Therefore, the Government based its revised complaint citing the papers released by TDP at the press conference. The Government asked the police to investigate as to who brought out the forged documents. "Why are they scared if the documents are not forged?" he asked.

Legal action

Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Laxmaiah earlier told reporters that the Government had decided to initiate legal action against the TDP MLAs for presenting forged documents. The TDP had tried to defame the Government with papers of its own creation. It was strange that the TDP which had admitted to giving false information to the Assembly intentionally now cried foul. The party's apprehension was misplaced as the probe had not yet begun. .

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