Narasapuram MP K. Raghu Ramakrishna Raju filed separate petitions in the High Court seeking quashing of the police complaints lodged against him by Housing Minister Cherukuvada Sri Ranganadha Raju and Bhimavaram MLA Grandhi Srinivas for reportedly damaging their names and reputation and causing mental agony.
Mr. Ramakrishna Raju prayed that while the quash petitions were pending disposal, the station house officers of Poduru and Bhimavaram I-Town police stations be directed not to take any coercive action against him.
In the eye of a storm brewing within YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) over his differences with his own party MLAs, Mr. Ramakrishna Raju had a show-cause notice issued by MP V. Vijaya Sai Reddy for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities.
It was against this backdrop that Mr. Ranganadha Raju and Mr. Srinivas complained to the police that Mr. Ramakrishna Raju insulted them through his media statements for questioning his defiance of the party’s stand on certain important policy matters and some government decisions.
Mr. Ramakrishna Raju asserted in the petition that he had every right to criticise the government’s actions and that the concept of obeying the party whip would apply to matters enumerated in 10th Schedule of the Constitution.
His basic argument was that the police should not have entertained the complaints as there was no criminal offence committed by him, and the alleged defamatory comments which he was accused of making, did not constitute a cognisable offence.
The allegations made against him were improbable and hence the complaints were liable to be quashed as per laws laid down by the Supreme Court, Mr. Ramakrishna Raju stated.