Congress MLAs Seek Action Against Minister Konda Surekha Over Remarks on CM

Around 20 Telangana Congress MLAs and MLCs have urged the party leadership to take stringent action against Forest Minister Konda Surekha over remarks made by her daughter Susmitha targeting Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and other party leaders.

Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad on Friday, the Congress legislators and MLCs expressed strong displeasure over Surekha’s statement that her daughter’s remarks were her personal views. They argued that the minister should have publicly condemned the comments, particularly while serving in a government headed by the Chief Minister.

Congress MLA Vemula Veeresham said strict action should be taken against anyone making remarks against the Chief Minister. He questioned Surekha’s explanation to the party’s disciplinary committee that she had no connection with her daughter’s comments.

“If she had nothing to do with the remarks, why did she not condemn them?” Veeresham asked, stressing that a minister working alongside the Chief Minister had a responsibility to distance herself from such statements. He also alleged that some of Surekha’s earlier remarks had caused embarrassment to the party and called for an immediate decision by the leadership.

MLA Vedma Bhojju demanded that ministers whose actions or statements create difficulties for the government and the party should be removed from the Cabinet. He also criticised remarks made by Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy and Telangana State Planning Board Vice-Chairman G. Chinna Reddy.

The Telangana Congress disciplinary committee issued a notice to Konda Surekha on August 19, seeking her explanation within three days over her daughter’s remarks.

Surekha submitted her response on August 20, arguing that holding her responsible for statements made independently by her daughter would violate principles of natural justice. She reaffirmed her respect for the party’s discipline and leadership and maintained that she had no involvement in the remarks.

Surekha subsequently requested the party to withdraw the disciplinary notice, reiterating that her daughter’s comments were personal and should not be attributed to her.