YSRCP MLA Sridevi case takes a new twist

Amaravati: The misuse of Scheduled Caste status case of YSRCP Tadikonda MLA Vundavalli Sridevi has taken a new twist on Thursday, as the complainant raised objections in the procedure of enquiry initiated by AS Dinesh Kumar, Joint Collector and Additional District Magistrate.

AS Santosh, working president, Legal Rights Protection Forum stated that the notice served to the MLA by the Joint Collector was deviated from the actual case. The Forum lodged another complaint with the District Collector on it, on Thursday. It is worth to mention here that, the Joint Collector has ordered the MLA to show the documents to support her caste, in the notice served to her on November 15. She is asked to attend in front of the enquiry officer on November 26, along with the documents. Meanwhile, this new development took place.

He explained that "Joint Collector has initiated an enquiry asking Sridevi to provide required documents in support of her community claim which is not the actual case".

In this regard, he said that their complaint is against the misuse of Scheduled Caste status in order to avail political benefits even after converting her religion to Christianity and not about asking her to disclose the community supporting documents which she is holding.

Santosh further added that, in their complaint, they made it clear that during the time of filing 2019 Assembly Election Affidavit she suppressed the fact that she got converted to Christianity and contested from SC reserved seat by making the voter assume her to be representing the SC community but which is not.

Hence it is being considered as a misuse of SC Status. He said that the Forum provided sufficient evidence along with their complaint in this regard.

The Forum informed that as per the Presidential Order 1950 the person who belongs to SC community obviously will not be considered as SC if he or she converts his or her religion to Christianity or Islam. In this case, Sridevi is not supposed to hold SC Status anymore and as a result, she is not entitled to contest from the SC reserved constituency ethically or legally. By this act she willfully violated the 1950 Presidential Order, the Forum claimed.

Santosh informed that, after examining Joint Collector's communication to Sridevi, it appears that the enquiry officer is diverting the investigation which was ordered by the Rashtrapati Bhavan, by misinterpreting their actual complaint.

Though our actual complaint is against the misuse of SC status, it is unfortunate that the enquiry officer had neither acknowledged nor mentioned the same in the communication directive.

Hence, the Forum demanded to investigate the matter in the direction of misuse of SC status as per the complaint.

When this correspondent tried to contact the JC over this issue, he did not respond.