Brother to follow in JC’s footsteps

Anantapur: JC Prabhakar Reddy, brother of Tadipatri Congress MLA and former Minister Diwakar Reddy, on Monday claimed that all parties in the State were inviting him to join them.

Talking to presspersons here, he said it was difficult to leave the party which had elevated his status, while thanking the parties for the invitation. However, he would follow his brother, he added.

Reddy expressed anger that he was being viewed as a culprit in the Palem Volvo bus accident, in which 45 passengers were burnt alive. “If we are at fault how permits can be sanctioned.” He claimed that his travel firm was paying tax promptly.

Reddy threw a challenge that the firm’s permits should be stopped, if the Transport department had the guts. While criticising the department for issuing permits for even Rs.100, he accused it of harassing him in connection with the accident.

Referring to the demand for his arrest, Reddy said Railway Minister Mallkarjuna Kharge should be held for the fire accident in a bogie of the Bangalore-Nanded express, killing 26 passengers.