It appears stage is set for the prosecution of former Telugu Desam Party legislator Kuna Ravi Kumar for making alleged derogatory comments against Andhra Pradesh state assembly speaker Tammineni Sitaram.
Ravi Kumar on Friday appeared before the assembly privileges committee headed by senior YSRC MLA Kakani Goverdhan Reddy and gave his explanation for the comments he had made against the Speaker in the past.
He defended his comments stating that he had made the comments against Tammineni as a local MLA, rather than the Speaker.
“My comments are intended against the institution of the Speaker but Tammineni as an individual,” he said.
To buttress his point, the ex-MLA produced newspaper clippings of the statements of Tammineni, which said he was only a YSRC MLA outside the state assembly and not the Speaker.
The privilege committee members, however, did not agree with Ravi Kumar’s explanation. They argued that whether it was inside the assembly or outside, Tammineni is in a Constitutional position as the Speaker.
The committee decided to recommend to the Speaker stern action against the TDP leader, including his prosecution.
In September 2020, Ravi Kumar had alleged that the Speaker indulged in cheating many unemployed youths in the name of jobs as outsourced staff in the Secretariat and government offices. He alleged that the Speaker had collected money from one person for appointing him as his PA.
The privileges committee also discussed the action to be taken against former state election commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar for the comments made against two ministers – Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and Botcha Satyanarayana.
A final decision would be taken in this regard during the meeting to be held again in the last week of March.
