Drama at Telangana Minister Konda Surekha's residence as cops try to arrest aide

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Amid growing rift between two ministers in Telangana, Konda Surekha and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, there was high drama at Endowments and Forest Minister Konda Surekha’s house in Hyderabad late night on Wednesday, October 15, as her family resisted the arrest of her former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) N Sumanth over the allegations of misconduct and corruption. 

A police team had reached the minister’s house searching for Sumanth, who was earlier sacked by the government. Surekha, who was present in the house, reportedly came out with Sumanth, and they left in her car.

Surekha’s daughter, Sushmita, confronted police officers in plainclothes and later made serious allegations against Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and other senior Congress leaders. She alleged that the Reddy leaders in the Telangana Congress were targeting her family because they were from a Backward Class community. 

A team of Task Force police had arrived at the minister’s house in Jubilee Hills following a tip-off about Sumanth’s presence there.

Sushmitha came out of the house and refused to allow them into the house. She had a heated argument with the policemen and wanted them to show the arrest warrant.

Talking to media persons, Sushmita alleged that some top Congress leaders were behind alleged attempts to malign her family. She said her parents were being targeted in a conspiracy.

Sushmita alleged that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s advisor Vem Narender Reddy, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and MLA Kadiyam Srihari were behind the conspiracy. She also alleged the involvement of the Chief Minister.

Sushmita said they came to know on Wednesday that Sumanth has been removed as OSD. There are allegations that he threatened an officer of Deccan Cements with a gun for extortion. This incident allegedly happened in Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy’s constituency, Huzurnagar.

She said when they enquired with the Chief Minister’s advisor, Vem Narender Reddy, he said Uttam Kumar Reddy had lodged a complaint, but the minister denied making any complaint.

She claimed that the Chief Minister’s close aide, Rohin Reddy, was also present at the meeting with Deccan Cements and wanted to know why no action was taken against him.

Sushmita expressed apprehension that those behind the alleged conspiracy may try to force Sumanth to give a statement that he threatened a Deccan Cements employee at the instance of her father, Konda Murali. “It’s a conspiracy to arrest my father, Konda Murali,” she said.

Sushmita said a gunman of her father was already removed. “My father is a former Maoist. How can they scale down his security?” she asked.

The OSD episode is seen as a fallout of the rift between Konda Surekha and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy over the Rs 71 crore contract for Medaram Jatara works.

Surekha had accused Srinivas Reddy of meddling in the Medaram contract works.