CBI to summon Kotla over Jagan remarks

NEW DELHI/HYDERABAD: Upset over Union minister of state for railways Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy claiming to the media that Y S Jaganmohan Reddy would soon return to the Congress, the counsel for the YSR Congress president told the Supreme Court on Monday that both the Centre and the CBI were playing partisan political roles and threatening its adversaries with dire consequences if they do not toe the Congress line.And taken aback by Jagan counsel’s charge, the CBI has decided to summon Surya Prakash Reddy to explain the basis of his claim.
The issue was raised when Jagan’s bail petition came up for hearing in the apex court. Displaying a media report in which the Union minister of state for railways was quoted as saying that Jagan would soon return to the Congress, his counsel Harish Salve told the apex court that these are methods being employed by the Congress to ‘bully’ its adversaries into submission.
“You can understand the gravity of the situation after seeing the statement of a central minister who is openly claiming that Jagan would come out of jail only if he joins hands with the Congress. The Centre and the CBI are playing partisan political roles and threatening rivals with dire consequences unless they fall in line,” he said. Salve filed an affidavit detailing his charge in the Supreme Court on Monday. In response, the CBI decided to summon the minister. On the bail petition of Jagan, the bench of Justice P Sathasivam and justice
M Y Iqbal issued notice to the CBI asking it to file its counter in the case by May 6, the next date of hearing.
Meanwhile, the AP high court on Monday reserved its orders on a petition that wanted it to monitor the ongoing Jagan assets case and insulate the current probe team from the pressures and pulls of the government of the day. The bench comprising Justice G Rohini and Justice P Naveen Kumar, which heard the petition filed by Hyderabad-based advocate T Sriranga Rao, said it would soon deliver its decision on the matter.