Naidu demands CM's resignation

Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy for "shielding the tainted ministers".

Addressing a press conference at his residence at Jubilee Hills, Naidu said that the Chief Minister should have dismissed tainted ministers. However, he alleged Kiran Kumar Reddy was shielding them and even refused to allow prosecution of Roads and Building Minister B Dharmana Prasad Rao by the CBI. He demanded that all tainted ministers resign from their post immediately.

Naidu charged the Congress party of adopting dual standards with regard to tainted ministers. Referring to the resignation of two union ministers - Pavan Kumar Bansal and Ashwini Kumar, he said that while the Congress party was trying to project itself as a clean party by removing tainted ministers, it was hesitant to take action in similar cases in Andhra Pradesh. He asked the Congress leadership to explain as to why it did not react after Dharmana Prasad Rao and Home Minister P Sabitha Indira Reddy were named as accused by the CBI in the Disproportionate Assets case.

The TDP chief announced that his party would launch massive protest across the State demanding dismissal of tainted ministers. He said if the ministers were not removed within a week, then the TDP would launch protest rallies in all the assembly constituencies for three days from May 20. All TDP leaders and workers, including MPs, MLAs and MLCs, would participate in the agitation programmes.