With the local body elections and the Jubilee Hills byelection approaching, infighting within the Congress came to the surface after SC, ST and Minorities Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman strongly objected to comments made against him by BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar. As a last resort, APCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud invited both the ministers to his house for break-fast to resolve their issue.
The ‘buffalo’ comments made by Ponnam Prabhakar against Minister Adluri Laxman are creating a stir in the ruling party. Just when it seemed that the controversy had subsided, it flared up further on Tuesday. Minister Adluri Laxman warned that if Minister Ponnam Prabhakar does not apologize for the comments made against him by Wednesday, he will have to bear the responsibility for the further consequences.
He also released a video to this effect. Adluri expressed deep regret that he made such comments because he could not digest being appointed as a minister from the Dalit community. He also said that he would meet top party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to complain about this issue.
Laxman also took exception to Labour Minister G Vivek Venkatswamy for, as he put it, “snubbing the issue” and maintaining a strategic silence. He alleged that the behavior of Vivek Venkataswamy has also changed since he was given the ministerial post. He expressed his concern that whenever he goes to any meeting, Minister Vivek, who does not even want to sit next to him, gets up and leaves.
Meanwhile, Dalit community MLAs from his own party have met PCC President Mahesh Kumar Goud and demanded action against Minister Ponnam’s comments. On the other hand, the party high command has taken this dispute seriously.
Party sources say that state in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan has been questioned. It is learnt that the high command has expressed extreme impatience over the issue of panchayats among ministers in the backdrop of the Jubilee Hills by-election and local elections being held in the state.
PCC President Mahesh Kumar Goud was asked to resolve this dispute before it escalates. In this context, Mahesh Kumar Goud called Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Adluri Laxman on Tuesday and asked them to put an end to this controversy. However, since neither Ponnam Prabhakar nor Adluri Laxman backed down, Mahesh Kumar Goud told the media that he would call them on Wednesday and discuss the matter.