DL registers Protest,but will stay in cabinet

Family Welfare Minister DL Ravindra Reddy on Wednesday reversed his decision to resign from the cabinet in protest against the stripping of his portfolios.

Talking to reporters at Congress Legislature Party office after meeting PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana, Ravindra Reddy said that he has restrained from taking "tough decisions" after talking to Botsa, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel. "Although I feeling back-stabbed, I will not resign," he announced.

Stating that he would never resort to sycophancy to get the portfolios of his choice, he suspected that his refusal to allow corruption in the portfolios that he handled might be the reasons for stripping of those portfolios. He maintained that the decision to change his portfolios was wrong and asked an explanation for the same. He said it should be explained as to why the medical and health portfolio was first divided into three and then later made into a composite ministry.

Ravindra Reddy claimed that he was among a few leaders in the Congress party who openly spoke against YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and felt that he was being punished for the same. He also demanded that the Congress party should not give nominated posts to MLAs and it should be allocated to senior leaders in the party.

Minorities Welfare Minister Syed Ahmedullah and MLC Chengal Rao were also present during the press conference.