Who gave KCR, Kodanda authority to demand my resignation: Nagender

Questioning the authority of Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao and Telangana Political Joint Action Committee convenor M Kodandaram, Minister for Labour Danam Nagender on Wednesday said that he will not bow down to their demands of resignations.

“They have no moral right to seek my resignation for the cause of Telangana,” Mr Nagender told media persons.

The Minister continued, “Who are they (KCR and Prof Kodandaram) to demand my resignation?”

Mr Nagender further said that he would gladly resign from his state Cabinet berth if Congress president Sonia Gandhi directs him to do so.

“I will even quit politics if Ms Sonia Gandhi tells me to,” the Minister said. Mr Nagender’s loyalty to the party is unquestionable, to the extent that he had once contested on a TDP ticket and won the Asifnagar seat after being denied representation by the party. However, he had resigned from the Assembly within days, saying that he was a Congress member and could not align with any other party.

The Minister also stated that the party Legislators from Telangana have resigned from their posts following the pressure mounted on them by local leaders and respecting the sentiments of people. He declined to comment further on the mass resignations.

Stating that he was not against Telangana, Mr Nagender added that he would not clarify whether he stood for separate statehood. “I will make my stand clear at the appropriate time,” he said.

The Minister added that he is bound by the High Command’s decision on the issue.