Cong Ministers Back Sabitha

A day after Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy was named in a charge-sheet by CBI in Jagan Mohan Reddy's disproportionate assets case, political activity shifted to top gear, with some ministers expressing their solidarity with her and the Chief Minister holding confabulations with his cabinet colleagues.

First it was a mini-cabinet-meeting wherein ministers Sailajanath, Kanna Lakshminarayana, Pitanai Satyanarayana called on the Chief Minister at his camp office. They are understood to have discussed the issue of Sabitha Indra Reddy.

Before that, Sabitha had announced that she would quit her cabinet post, but other Congress members are said to have coaxed her into staying put, and taking a decision after studying the case completely.

Minister K Jana Reddy, Vatti Vasantha Kumar and others met Sabitha at her residence. DGP V Dinesh Reddy also called on her.

Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana said that she need not resign. She will fight it out and come out unscathed, he said. DK Aruna has advised her not to resign on the basis of opposition remarks. Minister for Cooperative societies Kasu Krishna Reddy said that he has no knowledge of the charges and evaded a direct reply to media at Narsaraopet saying that he will find out after going to the state capital.

Danam Nagender also evaded a direct reply. "Unless I know what is in the charge-sheet, I cannot comment on the issue," he said. (INN)