My Safety Neglected: P S Rao

Handloom And Textiles Minister P Shankar Rao on Saturday demanded that all the ministers who had been serving in the state cabinet since the time of former Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy be removed, and that new faces must be inducted since the ministers had become 'lethargic'.

Pointing out at the 'appalling apathy' shown to him while talking to media persons at the CLP office on Saturday, Dr. Shankar Rao claimed that when he asked one of the Chief Minister's secretaries if any action had been taken on the threats against him, the secretary had replied that nothing had been done.

On January 25th, Dr. Shankar Rao had said that he received telephonic threats from unidentified persons after his letter to the High Court against Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and his supporters for illegally amassing wealth.

The minister said that he was seeking an appointment with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi to enlighten them about the lack of interest shown towards his safety.

Revealing the action taken so far, Dr. Shankar Rao said that the Director General Of Police Aravinda Rao had written a letter to the Commissioner Of Police, who in turn directed a Deputy Commissioner to inquire into the threat calls.

The minister said that he did not expect anything concrete to emerge if a police team made a couple of rounds around his residence and left.

Dr. Shankar Rao further added that he did not expect any action to be taken by a DGP who had been accused of having links with Jagan in a fake stamp paper scam.

Dr. Shankar Rao bemoaned that no action was being taken on a complaint even by a minister in the state cabinet. He expressed concern about the condition of the common man who was now left to fend for himself since he felt that the state was not interested in protecting life and property.

The minister also vented his fury at his ministerial colleagues by saying that they had shown total disregard for his safety, and that they had not even bothered to offer him lip service and ask him whether anything had been done to enhance the security at his place.

Dr. Shankar Rao revealed that there had been no enhancment of his personal security which consisted of 3 armed and 4 unarmed security personnel.

Courtesy: INN