Mins should 'fall in line' with Cabinet decisions: CM

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today said every minister has to fall in line in respect to Cabinet decisions, but gave no sign of action against dissenting Health Minister D L Ravindra Reddy.

Ravindra opposed the Cabinet decision (on November 23) to reject the CBI plea for prosecution of Roads and Buildings Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao in the Vanpic Port land scandal. He even asked the Chief Secretary to place it in on record.

Reacting to the issue, the chief minister cited the Supreme Court judgement in the H D Deve Gowda case that said any minister has to fall in line or be dropped (if he opposed any decision of the Cabinet).

Any decision by the Cabinet is collective. One may differ during discussion but when a decision is taken, it is final, Kiran said during an informal chat with news persons in the state Assembly premises. Asked if a minister should quit on his own if he opposed a Cabinet decision, the CM replied in the affirmative.

But when asked if he would act against Ravindra, Kiran shot back, What mistake has he done for me to do anything? In the past too, Ravindra had been critical of many decisions of the chief minister. Meanwhile, Kiran defended the Government decision to reject the CBI's plea for prosecution of Dharmana. All decisions taken by Dharmana were of the (then) Cabinet.

Dharmana's case is different from that of (former minister) Mopidevi Venkata Ramana. Mopidevi was first arrested by CBI (in the Vanpic land scandal) without the agency seeking permission from the state government. He then resigned from the Cabinet. In Dharmana's case, the CBI sought permission, he explained.

He noted CBI itself told the court that cases related to Dharmana and Mopidevi were different.

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