Congress party Telangana in-charge Manickam Tagore on Tuesday sent a criminal defamation notice to Padi Kaushik Reddy, who was in incharge of bye-election bound Huzurabad assembly constituency, and resigned from the party after a controversial audio clip surfaced. However, hours after PCC Chief Revanth Reddy issued a show cause notice seeking an explanation on the audio tape, Padi resigned from the party levelling scathing allegations on Revanth and Congress incharge Manickam Tagore.
Padi in a press meet, alleged that Revanth is ruining the Congress party and that no one was happy with his appointment as PCC chief. He said, "He is ruining the party, he would put the party at the feet of Chandrababu Naidu." Padi further alleged that Revanth paid crores to party Telangana in-charge Manickam Tagore to get the PCC Chief position. Attacking both leaders, Padi said, "Is it not true that Revanth gave Rs 50 crore to become PCC president to Manickam Tagore who comes from Delhi wearing lungi/veshti." At his press meet, Padi did not provide any proof to back his allegation. He however went on to call Manickam Tagore a "useless fellow" and a person without "common sense".
Manickam's legal team responded by sending Padi a criminal defamation notice, saying that statements made by Padi were unethical and without any basis.
The notice further said that the allegation has been made "with ulterior motive for certain political gains" while calling it scrupulous. The notice further said that the allegation made by Padi was to damage the name and reputation of Manickam. It said, "The public statement issued by you has caused extensive damage to the reputation of my cli and his family and the same could not be repaired the credibility built by him (Manickam)."
As I tweeted yesterday night ,today my legal team sent Notices to Chandrasekar Garu’s follower . It’s Criminal Defamation notice . After a week time for apology I will register criminal case against the offender at Madurai. Let them pray to Meenakshi Amman for good sense . pic.twitter.com/NFDbnOk61C
— Manickam Tagore .B✋மாணிக்கம் தாகூர்.ப (@manickamtagore) July 13, 2021
Padi Kaushik was caught in the controversy on Monday following audio clips circulated on social media, in which Padi purportedly was trying to lure a TRS youth leader offering him money. In one brief audio clip, a voice that is allegedly Padi's can be heard telling the other person to mobilize Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) party workers to canvas for him claiming that he was offered a TRS ticket.