Minister for Textiles and Handlooms P Shankar Rao on Monday expressed his long-cherished dream to hold a ministry without a portfolio. He desired that he be kept in charge of IB (Intelligence Bureau) to play the role of keeping the High Command posted with the day-to-day affairs of the state.
The minister is believed to have returned to the city after attending an NRIs' meet along with Industries Minister Geetha Reddy in New Delhi.
Speaking to media persons at the Secretariat, Dr. Shankar Rao took exception to the Bharatiya Janata Party leader Bandaru Dattatreya calling Governor ESL Narasimhan an
agent of centre.
Dr. Shankar Rao recalled how in the neighbouring Karnataka, the BJP government was cornered by its own MLAs over the scams which had come to light. the Minister also lashed out at BJP leaders like Advani, Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley for criticising Sonia Gandhi at their recent Guwahati executive meeting.
He said that Sonia Gandhi had refused to accept Prime Ministership despite the opportunity. Efforts to undermine her patriotism was not in good light, the minister maintained.
He added that she was part of a family which donated their property to the nation, and belittling her was not proper for leaders of the stature of Advani, Dr. Shankar Rao opined.
Congress MLA Palvai Govardhan Reddy, who also chose to belittle the Governor saying that he acted like General Dyer, faced severe criticism.
The Minister also disagreed with the views of Govardhan Reddy that the Governor gave a wrong report to the centre on Andhra Pradesh.
Referring to the stormy petrel of Kadapa, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, the minister claimed that in the event of his yet-to-be launched party contesting in the next elections, the number of his MLAs would be in single digit.
Courtesy: INN
filed in:Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, P Shankar Rao, BJP