Commissioner of the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC), Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar, today ordered the concerned authorities to book a criminal case against state Civil Supplies Minister Kodali Nani for making objectionable remarks against the SEC.
Kumar instructed the Krishna district SP to book a case against the minister under sections 504, 505 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code.
Nani has also been asked to refrain from speaking to the press, and from organising or participating in any meetings.
The orders follow the SEC's decision to issue a show cause to the minister for his comments - the election body's Commissioner
show caused the minister yesterday, alleging that the latter had spoken about the commission in an "insulting manner" at a press conference.
In the notice, the Commissioner asked the minister to provide an explanation for the remarks, and to make a public statement saying that he was withdrawing his comments about the SEC.
On receiving the notice, the minister had complied with the orders, and had sent his explanation to the SEC through his advocate Chiranjeevi.
He had reportedly said that he had great respect for the election commission, and that he had not made any offensive remarks against the body deliberately. However the SEC Commissioner was not satisfied with the reply and issued the orders for the arrest today.
The SEC head has been courting controversy for some time now. His ever-growing row with the YSR Congress Party government over the organisation of Panchayat elections in the state had prompted him to take
action against another leader of the party too.