Court notices to PM, Sonia, 6 ministers over state division

A local court Tuesday issued notices to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and six union ministers on a petition filed by two advocates over bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Judge Siva Nagi Reddy, presiding over a family-cum-fast track court, issued the notices on the plea filed by advocates B Mallikarjuna and Naganna in their personal capacity.

The court asked the respondents to appear before it in person or through their counsels on April 11.

Besides Singh and Gandhi, the others named in the petition are Union Ministers and Congress leaders Sushilkumar Shinde, Veerappa Moily, P Chidambaram, Ghulam Nabi Azad, S Jaipal Reddy and Kavuri Sambasiva Rao.

The advocates alleged the respondents were responsible for all the agitations and untoward incidents in the State which took place on the issue of bifurcation.

Mallikarjuna and Naganna first filed a private complaint on the issue in November last year before the Judicial Magistrate First Class, which rejected their plea.

The advocates then submitted a revision petition before Additional District Sessions Judge P Subramanyakumar, who referred the matter to the fast-track court.

After the case was listed before it, the fast-track court issued notices to the respondents and sought their replies.