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Former Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader P Janardhan Reddy, who has been suspended from the primary membership of the party, has demanded the suspension of AP Congress Committee president M Satyanarayana Rao and Congress Legislature Party leader Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy for 'anti-party' activities.
Janardhan Reddy's suspension was announced by the All India Congress Committee on Monday night following complaints of unruly behaviour by his slogan-shouting followers at the Hyderabad airport as well as the party headquarters - Gandhi Bhavan - in the city last Saturday during the visit of AICC general secretary Vayalar Ravi.
Reddy's followers were demanding the ouster of APCC president Satyanarayana Rao.
Speaking to newspersons in Hyderabad on Tuesday, Janardhan Reddy pointed out the reasons for his suspension would apply to Rao and Dr Y S R Reddy too and demanded action against them.
The commotion during Vayalar Ravi's visit was not created by my followers alone, Reddy argued wondering why he was being singled out for disciplinary action.
Janardhan Reddy reiterated his demand for the ouster of Satyanarayana Rao as APCC president for causing 'harm' to the party's image and credibility by his anti-party utterances and actions. He also lashed out at Dr Rajasekhar Reddy for instigating groupism in the party.
He recalled that the supporters of Dr Y S R Reddy had thrown chappals onto the dais at a public meeting addressed by then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao and then chief minister Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy at Cuddapah town in 1994.
Another example of indiscipline he cited was that of former AP Youth Congress president (and present APCC general secretary) P Sudhakar Reddy whose supporters had ransacked and set fire to furniture at Gandhi Bhavan in 1998 protesting against the denial of the party ticket to Sudhakar Reddy for contesting from the Khammam Lok Sabha seat.
Starting his career as a trade union leader, he worked his way up and served as a legislator, a minister and was the CLP leader during 1994-99. He was elected to the assembly four times since 1978 and was a follower of former chief minister T Anjaiah.
Terming his suspension from the party as 'unfortunate', Janardhan Reddy (56) said he has been a 'Congressman from birth' and a Nehru-Gandhi family loyalist ever since he joined politics 24 years ago.
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