Tainted Andhra Pradesh ministers resign

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Hyderabad: The two Cabinet ministers chargesheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the illegal investments case of Kadapa MP Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy — home minister Sabita Indra Reddy and roads and buildings minister Dharmana Prasada Rao - met Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy late on Sunday night and reportedly submitted  their resignations as per the directive of the All-India Congress Committee.
But the episode took a curious turn with both ministers offering to resign not only from their ministerial posts, but also from their membership in the Assembly creating a new controversy and leaving the ruling Congress government at the edge of a razor-thin majority in the House.
Former excise minister Mopidevi Venkataramana was the first to resign in connection with the Jagan Mohan Reddy case.
Prasada Rao represents the Srikakulam Assembly constituency while Sabita Indra Reddy represents the Maheswaram segment in Ranga Reddy district.
Prasada Rao who arrived in Hyderabad from Visakhapatnam on Sunday evening headed straight for his residence in the ministers’ quarters. He was closeted with his followers and legal advisers for some time before proceeding to the Chief Minister’s camp office around 10 pm. He was joined there by Reddy.
The resignations come in the wake of the AICC directive to Kiran Kumar Reddy to obtain the resignation of the two tainted ministers supposedly in a move to prove  Congress’ “clean image”.
Prasada Rao’s followers in Srikakulam had earlier on Sunday threatened to quit the Congress in case he was  asked to resign.
It may be recalled that both Reddy and Rao were named as accused by the CBI in illegal investments case of Jagan Mohan Reddy. Prasada Rao had submitted his resignation on August 14 last year which was turned down by Kiran Kumar Reddy. The Chief Minister had also refused to allow the CBI to prosecute them.
Following the meeting with Kiran Kumar Reddy on Sunday, both ministers who came in their personal cars, left the Chief Minister’s residence around 11 pm without speaking to the waiting media.