Expressing its 'strong displeasure' over the comments made by TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao against home minister Sabitha Indra Reddy, the Election Commission on Thursday said that it is not satisfied with the explanation offered by KCR. The alleged comments were made against the home minister and other Congress leaders by KCR during campaigning for the Telangana by-elections.
According to a statement released by Chief Electoral Officer I V Subba Rao, the EC had considered the matter, and was not satisfied with KCR's explanation and "is of the considered view that he, being the president of an important political party, ought to have been more restrained while making comments about the leaders of rival parties".
The EC had issued a show-cause notice to the TRS chief on July 25, seeking explanation for his reported usage of words like 'sannasi' (useless) against the home minister during an election campaign at Sircilla on July 23, while a day earlier KCR had addressed a public meeting in Vemulawada in which he had allegedly advised people to "take money and liquor from the candidates of other parties, but vote for TRS".
The EC's strong displeasure had been evident earlier, too, when he said that Telangana would burn if it does not get separate statehood.
The EC also expressed its dissatisfaction on the explanation offered by IT Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy as a reply to the show-cause notice issued to him.
The minister had reportedly assured some youth of the Yellareddy constituency that he would solve their problems within a year if they elect the Congress nominee. The EC said that being a minister, Venkat Reddy should not have made any promises.