Cong asks Naidu to resign as Opposition Leader

The Congress Legislature Party on Saturday demanded Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu to resign from the post Opposition Leader in the wake of Central Bureau of Investigation launching probe against his alleged illegal properties.

Talking to media persons at the CLP office, Congress MLA Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy asked Naidu to quit the Opposition Leader's post to facilitate the CBI conduct an impartial probe against his alleged illegal assets. The probing agency could not conduct impartial and transparent probe if he continues on the post, he said. He also advised Naidu to cooperate with the CBI and other agencies, instead of trying to stay the probe ordered by the High Court, based on a petition filed by Pulivendula MLA YS Vijayamma.

Ramana Reddy also accused Naidu of trying to project himself at the champion of farmers' in New Delhi, only to escape the CBI probe. He said Naidu did not hold serious discussions on farmers' issue and instead, focussed his trip on finding ways to avoid the CBI probe against his alleged illegal properties.

Congress MLA Krishna Reddy objected to the call given Telangana Political Joint action committee chairman Prof M Kodandaram to the Telangana Congress MLAs not to participate in the Rachabanda programme. He said it was wrong on the part of Prof Kodandaram to prevent the elected representatives from addressing the problems being faced by the people.

Krishna Reddy alleged that Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao was demanding Telangana state only with an intention to protect his party in the region. However, he predicted that the TRS would merge into Congress party, with or without the formation of Telangana State.

MLC Rudraraju Padma Raju was also present in the press conference.