Singanamala MLA’s outbursts create ripples

Singanamala(Anantapur): Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has summoned Singanama MLA Jonnalagadda Padmavathi to Tadepalle following her outbursts against fellow MLAs and officials in a Facebook live programme which went viral on Monday. She alleged she was discriminated against since she was a Dalit MLA and was insulted by fellow MLAs who did not respect her rights over constituency in water-sharing and other issues.

She reportedly received a telephone call on Tuesday from CM camp office summoning her to come in person and explain her outbursts against the party and its legislators. On receiving the communication, she immediately rushed to Bengaluru airport to fly to Vijayawada. Her husband Aluru Sambasiva Reddy also accompanied her to meet the Chief Minister and explain the circumstances that led to her frustration and outbursts. According to family sources she would clarify on her comments and that the media has twisted her comments to give an impression that her comments are ‘anti-Chief Minister’.

MLA Jonnalagadda Padmavathi and her husband Sambasiva Reddy, known for their close links with Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy appear to be on the cross roads not knowing what to do in the context of rumours that CM is disinclined to renominate Padmavathi.

On a Facebook live programme she vented her ire against officials and party MLAs for insulting her for quite some time. Her only crime, she says, is 'being a Dalit MLA'.

She says she was faulted for being vocal concerning demands relating to her constituency, particularly release her constituency share of drinking and irrigation waters.

“No SC MLA dared to speak out against the injustice in water allocation in the past and how dare you come out openly, is the question being posed to her by the fellow MLAs and officials,” she said.

“I can no longer swallow insults. The time has come for me to stand for my constituency,” she asserted.

She said soon she would announce a date for launching agitation for the farmers and people's rights for release of the constituency share of water.

Referring to party’s dithering on her renomination, she said she saw no logic in the party willing to nominate a candidate recommended by her. If I am useless for contesting, how can my support be valuable, she asked in agony.

Padmavathi advised the people against being carried away by rumours until the party made an announcement. She said that as a loyal party worker she followed every dictum of the party president and Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and with a missionary zeal carried forward all party programmes and hoped that 'Jagan Anna' would keep his word to renominate all who abided by the party dictums.

In an indirect reference to Anantapur MLA Anantha Venkatarama Reddy, she said that the veteran MLA in Anantapur does not deem it wrong to pollute Ananthasagar by dumping drainage water into it. How can he pollute pure water by dumping the city waste into it ?. He takes HLC water for local needs but does not hesitate to pollute clean water of Anantasagar, she regretted.

She said that she tried in vain to release water to Konulakuntla village tank in Putluru in her constituency. She had a dig at the Tadipatri MLA Peddareddy for creating hurdles in supplying water to Putlur, while saying on one hand that the people of Putlur belonged to his family clan. She maintained that she hailed from an educated family and operated decently as an MLA but Peddareddy proved that that if one can create a fear psychosis and behave as a faction leader, only such people triumphed.