Congress locks CLP hall to ‘gag’ Shankar
Congress Legislature Party affairs are turning murkier by the day, with Medchel MLA K. Lakshma Reddy on Wednesday locking the hall where a press conference was to take place and appropriating the keys only to prevent former minister P. Shankar Rao from speaking to the media. On learning of this, Dr Rao threatened that he would return on Thursday at 1 pm and speak to the media in the same hall, breaking the lock to do so if required.
When the CLP executive met earlier in the day, its main agenda was to work out how to prevent party leaders from rushing to the media to often criticise their own compatriots, particularly the CM, who is the leader of the CLP, brazenly using the very same facilities provided by the CLP, such as the media conference hall, to do so. It was unanimously decided to implement strict restrictions on party leaders: there shall be no criticism whatsoever of the CM and the government.
Anybody who wishes to address the media has to obtain prior permission from the CLP office-bearers, clearing the topic with them first, and those who don’t, would not have access to the hall. Government Chief Whip Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy said the executive has “appealed” to former ministers, especially Dr Rao, not to criticise the party and leaders as such statements may go against the party’s interest. When this was brought to his notice, Dr Rao retorted, “I will come and address in the hall, I will break open the lock, let me see who is going to prevent me.”
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