AP cabinet ministers slug it out over 'YSR legacy'

Hyderabad, Feb 14: A serious differences prevailing within the Congress-led government in Andhra Pradesh came to the fore once again today with a few ministers getting into a verbal duel at the cabinet meeting over the so-called "YSR legacy."

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who chaired the meeting in the state Secretariat here, had to remain a mute spectator as his colleagues Vatti Vasantha Kumar, D L Ravindra Reddy, Botsa Satyanarayana, Aanam Ramanarayana Reddy and others got into a heated argument, cabinet sources said.

It was Vatti (Tourism Minister), who reportedly raised the issue of continuing the "YSR legacy" and objected to the criticism of the late Chief Minister's policies by Ravindra Reddy (Health Minister) and others, they said.

Ravindra Reddy, a bete noire of YSR Reddy, hit back, saying they would not remain quiet if anyone attacked their leader Sonia Gandhi. It was an oblique reference to YSR's son YS Jaganmohan Reddy, who had been attacking Gandhi since his exit from the Congress in Nov last year, the sources added.

Vatti noted that the government was trying to implement all the schemes launched by YSR. At that point, Satyanarayana (Transport Minister) referred to the fee reimbursement scheme for students pursuing professional courses and lamented the inordinate delay in release of funds.

Finance Minister Aanam Ramanarayana retorted that there was no laxity on part of the government in releasing the funds as promised, the sources said.

Infrastructure Minister Komatireddy Venkata Reddy and a couple of others too joined the issue but the Chief Minister remained silent, they said.

PTI