State will provide legal aid to tainted minister, says Anam

The State Government will explore ways and means to extend moral and legal support to the tainted ministers.

This was disclosed by Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy after a delegation of ministers met Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy at latter's Camp Office at Begumpet here on Tuesday to discuss the issue of Roads and Buildings Minister Dharmana Prasad Rao, who has been named by the CBI as 5th accused in the disproportionate assets case against Kadapa MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

In the meeting that lasted for one than one hour, the Ministers contended that their colleagues who have been named by the Central Bureau of Investigation in different cases should get support of the government and the party. According to the Finance Minister, the government should find ways to extend legal aid to all ministers by discussing it with legal experts. Apart from legal support, he said that both the government and party should extend moral support to the tainted ministers.

Ramnarayan Reddy said that the decisions to issue GOs were taken collectively by the State Cabinet and therefore, the ministers should be individually held responsible for the same. He expressed concern over the BC ministers becoming scapegoats in corruption of Jagan. Accusing YSRCP honorary president Y S Vijayamma for the mess, he said that had she been taken proper action against Jagan, the situation would not have come to such level.

Tourism Minister Vatti Vasanth Kumar said that no one has power to question the Cabinet decisions which are taken under Article 163. Stating that the Ministers would protect their rights, he said how the ministers alone could be responsible for benefits other have extracted from the GOs. Pointing out that the Ministers have no links with illegal properties of Jagan, he took serious note on CBI for including Dharmana’s name in the charge sheet.

At least 15 miniters including Dharmana Prasad Rao, D K Aruna, Galla Aruna Kumari, Danam Nagender, Erasu Prathap Reddy, Kanna Lakshminarayana, J Geetha Reddy, M Mahidhar Reddy and Basavaraj Saraiah were present in the meeting.

According to sources the Chief Minister assured the Ministers that he would convey their opinion to the Congress High Command when he visits New Delhi on Wednesday.