ST status: Notice served on Deputy CM Pushpasreevani

Vizianagaram: The AP High Court on Saturday served a notice on Deputy Chief Minister P Pushpasreevani following a petition filed against in the court challenging her claim that she belonged to the ST category.

The petitioner contended that Pushpasreevani does not belong to ST but she had produced a fake certificate and won the election from Kurupam Assembly constituency in 2019 on the YSRCP ticket. K Mani, Akhila Bharata Dalit rights forum state president has lodged a complaint in the High Court against Deputy Chief Minister P Pushpasreevani and mentioned that Sreevani had produced an ST certificate issued by the tahasildar of Buttayagudem mandal of West Godavari district in her election affidavit. But the certificate should be issued only by the revenue divisional officer(RDO) but not by the tahasildar, Mani said.

Later, she contested in Assembly elections from Kurupam in Vizianagaram district on the YSRCP ticket in 2019 and emerged victorious. Advocate B Sasibhushana Rao has appeared in the court on behalf of Mani and alleged that Sreevani has produced a fake certificate. He said her sister Rama Tulasi's application was also rejected during teachers recruitment in 2014 as officers in West Godavari rejected her claim that she belonged to the ST category.

Justice M Satyanarayana has heard the case in AP High Court and issued notices to Deputy Chief Minister P Pushpasreevani, the Election Commission of India and Chief Secretary of the State and adjourned the next hearing to April 23.