Daughter's remarks, MLAs upset: Why Telangana CM Revanth Reddy sacked Konda Surekha as minister

Following her removal from the cabinet, Surekha said on Thursday that she was “not at all at fault” and that she never said anything against the chief minister. The leadership of Telangana, ruled by Congress, saw a major upheaval on Thursday when chief minister Revath Reddy sacked Konda Surekha as state's environment minister and rescinded the appointment of G Chinna Reddy as vice chairman of State Planning Board with immediate effect.Congress Telangana's disciplinary committee had recommended taking action against Konda Sukekha for not condemning her daughter's remarks. (X/@iamkondasurekha)According to the chief minister's office, a recommendation has been made to Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla in regard to the sacking of Surekha.Why was Konda Surekha sacked?One of the major reasons behind the action against Surekha is the remarks made by her daughter against chief minister Revanth Reddy and other leaders of the party, reported news agency PTI. Her daughter's remarks drew the ire of several Congress MLAs and functionariesDeep DiveCongress Telangana's disciplinary committee had recommended taking action against Surekha for not condemning her daughter's remarks.Also read: 'No one should get up and run away': CM Vijay dares DMK to listen to his reply on law and order concerns in Tamil NaduApart from her, the disciplinary panels also suggested taking action against Chinna Reddy for criticising party MLA Tudi Meghareddy. Instead, Telangana's state Women's Commission Chairperson Gadwal Vijayalakshmi was appointed as the new vice chairperson of the State Planning Board.The tough action against Surekha and Chinna Reddy comes after chief minister Revant Reddy, deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and state Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud held discussions with AICC leaders. This included Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary KC Venugopal. The discussions were held in the national capital a few days back.To put forth her version, Surekha also met Kharge and AICC incharge of party affairs Meenakshi Natarajan in Delhi.Also read: New Secretariat-Assembly complex, Olympic City, Motor Sports City: CM Vijay's big plans for Tamil Nadu'I am not at all at fault'Following her removal from the cabinet, Surekha said on Thursday that she was “not at all at fault” and that she never said anything against the chief minister."They issued me a show-cause, but I had not levelled any allegations against Revanth Reddy or the party. In a meeting, my daughter expressed her frustration. She did that over an MLA candidate and levelled allegations. She spoke about something there on the CM. I am not at all responsible for it. I don't know what she wanted to say," Surekha was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.On Wednesday, she said that she had reached out to the party leadership to not sack her due to her good performance as the minister and that her daughter is independent and she should not be held responsible for the latter's remarks.Also read: Konda Surekha Political Career: From MPP to Minister..! Many twists and turns... many more opportunities!Surekha also alleged that the demand for action against her was not made voluntarily by the MLAs of the party but “someone” was behind them. However, she refused to name anyone.After the sacking, Surekha also said that she was not upset over losing her post as it was just “ornamental” for her and claimed that AICC did not want to remove her but it was the CM who insisted on doing do."At least they should have asked me before removing me. If they had asked me, I would have had the opportunity to ask why. I was removed without even taking my opinion. The AICC did not want me to be removed; the Chief Minister insisted on removing me," she said.“I did not respond to my daughter’s statements only out of respect for her. I have done nothing wrong. Why should I be humiliated?” Surekha said on Thursday, adding that removing a woman minister would hit Congress back at national level.(With inputs from PTI, ANI)Nikita Sharma is a Senior Content Producer with Hindustan Times. She is a Delhi-based digital journalist with five years of experience writing and editing news stories across beats including crime, politics, tech, trends and much more, both national and international. At Hindustan Times, she is part of the news team and focuses on breaking news, keeping a track of what is happening where, and chasing ever-developing news stories. She has a penchant for covering crime, geopolitics, and Indian politics with a keen eye for stories often overlooked in the daily news cycle. At Hindustan Times, she has extensively covered several key events including the US Presidential elections, Air India plane crash, Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, US’ tariff war, and others. As a Delhi aficionado, she particularly enjoys roaming and writing about the national capital — its heritage, food, art and culture, and the many problems that come with it — the pollution, waterlogging, traffic, and more. Nikita did her Bachelor in Journalism and Mass Communication from GGSIPU and started working as a digital journalist in 2021. During her first stint, she covered hyperlocal news at a Delhi-based newsroom, writing and editing stories on builder-buyer conflicts, civic issues such as potholes, waterlogging, lack of facilities at hospitals in Delhi, crippling of the city during peak monsoon season. She also wrote features covering Delhi’s art exhibitions, heritage walks, artist profiles, museums, classical Hindustani music concerts and dance shows. She entered mainstream news in 2023 and has previously worked at NDTV.Read More