Jagan violating party discipline, says Reddy

Attacking rebel Congress Member of Parliament Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, Union Minister and senior party leader from the state S Jaipal Reddy on Saturday said he was violating party discipline and termed his actions as "very undesirable".

Reddy said the Sakshi channel owned by Jagan, which telecast programmes attacking Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi was being "misused" to weaken the party.

"Everybody knows that the channel is owned by him (Jagan) and the channel is run for his own politics apparently. The channel is being misused to weaken the party. It is very undesirable," the minister said responding to questions about the programmes aired by the channel.

Reddy said while Jagan's father late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S R Reddy was a "tremendously loyal Congressman", his young son, "otherwise dynamic, seems to be confused".

Maintaining that "Jaganmohan Reddy is violating party discipline", he said, "Naturally the decision (about action on Jagan) has to be taken at the national level of the party."

He was responding to queries on the likelihood of disciplinary action against the young MP.

The minister's reactions have come on a day when newly-elected Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is to meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi and also finalise the names of his cabinet colleagues, who are expected to take oath before the assembly session begins on Monday.

Congress had earlier sought a report from the state on the Sakshi channel's show criticising the Congress president and the prime minister.

After receiving the report a few days back, All India Congress Committee in-charge for the state and Law Minister M Veerappa Moily had termed it as a "serious issue".

Sakshi, the 24-hour Telugu news channel owned by the 38- year-old Kadapa MP, had launched a frontal attack on Sonia as well as the organisation in the one-hour show.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was also targeted along with the "coterie around Sonia" for the "sorry state of affairs in Congress."

Days after the programme was aired, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah resigned from his post, which the party attributed to health reasons.

Meanwhile, the rebel Congress MP on Friday held parleys with his supporters, including several MLAs, apparently on the course of action to be taken in the wake of the change of guard in Andhra Pradesh.

It is understood that Jagan's group has decided to adopt a wait-and-watch policy on their stance vis-a-vis the new Chief Minister until the formation of his cabinet.