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Telangana’s Endowment and Forest Minister Konda Surekha has apologised to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for the recent accusatory remarks made by her daughter against the CM and other senior Congress leaders in Telangana. Amid a rift between Surekha and other Congress leaders including Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, her daughter Sushmita had alleged that Reddy leaders in the party were targeting her parents because they were from a Backward Class community.
Surekha told media persons after the Cabinet meeting on Thursday, October 23, that some disputes had occurred due to a misunderstanding. “Like in any family, there were some quarrels with the party due to misunderstandings. We have to work together just like we do in the family,” she said.
The minister said that her daughter uttered something about the Chief Minister due to the anger over the arrival of the police at the residence, and that she apologised to the Chief Minister for the same. Konda Surekha said they will move forward by sorting out the differences.
The minister had called on the Chief Minister on the night of Monday, October 20, days after the police search for her sacked Officer on Special Duty (OSD) N Sumanth on allegations of extortion had kicked up a storm in the ruling Congress.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud took Surekha and her husband Konda Murali to the Chief Minister’s residence in an attempt to defuse the tension caused by the arrival of a police team at the minister’s house in search of OSD Sumanth and the allegations made by the minister’s daughter Sushmita against the Chief Minister and some senior leaders.
AICC had taken serious note of the incident that happened at Surekha’s residence in Hyderabad on the night of October 15, when a police team had reached there to arrest Sumanth, whose contract as the minister’s OSD was terminated by the government following allegations that he threatened the management of a cement factory with a gun for extortion.
Surekha’s daughter, Sushmita, had refused to allow the police team into the house, asking them to produce the arrest warrant. She had a heated argument with the police officers who were in plain clothes.
Sumanth, who was present in the house, allegedly left in a car with the minister.
Talking to media persons, Sushmita had alleged that Sumanth was booked to target her parents. She made serious allegations against Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, his advisor Vem Narender Reddy and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy. She alleged that her parents were being targeted as they belong to a backward class community.
There were allegations that Sumanth threatened an officer of Deccan Cements with a gun for extortion.