In her criticism, Srilatha alleged that Natarajan offered political patronage to Kumbum Shivakumar Reddy and raised critical allegations of sexual misconduct, sexual abuse and loss of life threats. She alleged that regardless of repeated complaints, Telangana Congress leaders, together with Meenakshi Natarajan, didn’t intervene to revoke Shiva Kumar Reddy’s fundamental membership.
Shrilata named seven Congress leaders in her criticism, together with Pradesh Congress chief Mahesh Kumar Goud, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Improvement Minister Vakati Srihari and Narayanpet MLA Chitten Parnika Reddy.
The lawsuit paperwork level to an incident that occurred in 2020, about six years in the past. Congress chief Kumbum Siva Kumar Reddy, who was then chairman of the District Congress Committee (DCC), was requested to work with Srilatha, who took cost of the 2020 Narayanpet municipal elections. It’s mentioned that there was a rift between the 2 leaders in the course of the elections, attributable to which the Congress misplaced the town to the Bharatiya Rashtra Samiti.
A senior member of Telangana Congress advised ThePrint that Reddy began blackmailing her after she threatened to publish incriminating materials in opposition to Srilatha. When this got here to the eye of Congress leaders, Shiva Kumar Reddy was requested to resign as DCC president in mid-2021.
Even after the municipal elections, Srilatha filed two FIRs in opposition to Shiva Kumar Reddy in 2022 and 2023 in Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
On the route of the courtroom, a case was filed at Punjagutta Police Station on Could 7, 2022 and at Cubbon Park Police Station, Bangalore on June 28, 2023. Each the costs have been filed below Article 223 of the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BNSS) (willful disobedience of authorized orders by public servant).
Nonetheless, the case was dismissed attributable to lack of proof.
Later, each Shiva Kumar Reddy and Srilatha approached the Congress State Election Fee to qualify for the Narayanpet Meeting elections. Congress sources mentioned each the candidates put stress on the management to present them tickets, however given the continued rivalry between Reddy and Srilatha, the occasion management finally determined to present the ticket to Chitten Parnika Reddy, Reddy’s daughter-in-law and presently the sitting MLA from Narayanpet.
The Congress got here to energy in December 2023 and Meenakshi Natarajan took over as AICC Telangana in-charge in February 2025, changing Deepa Dasmunshi.
In September 2025, seven months after Natarajan took over as AICC Telangana chief, Srilatha once more claimed that his life was in peril from Reddy and his supporters. This time, she has filed a non-public criticism in opposition to Natarajan and 7 different Congress leaders earlier than a district decide, accusing them of repeatedly informing them of threats in opposition to Shiva Kumar Reddy however failing to take any motion.
“Ms Srilatha has filed a criticism for the third time as a sufferer. She wished Reddy not solely to be demoted from the submit but in addition to be excluded from the occasion,” the Congress MP mentioned.
Nonetheless, Congress leaders themselves usually are not positive whether or not Srilatha will stay a member of the state meeting. “Nobody has excluded her from the occasion, nor has she resigned,” the lawmaker added.
Srirasa couldn’t be reached for remark by cellphone.
Srilatha, a former municipal corporator from Tarnaka within the erstwhile Higher Hyderabad Municipal Company (GHMC), belonged to the Telugu Desam Social gathering (TDP) from 2002 to 2007 and was additionally the Andhra Pradesh (United) Mahila secretary and joint secretary of the occasion from 2007 to 2010. Later, she joined the Congress occasion.
After the incident got here to mild on June 9, Congress leaders scrambled to make sure that Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha candidature was not hampered. Two circumstances in 2022 and 2023 shouldn’t have materials standing, whereas a case registered in September 2025 continues to be ongoing and being thought-about by the EC.
Whereas the AICC chief’s title is talked about solely as soon as within the cost sheet and she or he says she was solely knowledgeable about Reddy’s alleged menace, Congress leaders shared {that a} discover has been served on Meenakshi.
“Mr. Meenakshi answered the courtroom’s questions however misplaced monitor of the case after additional directions got by the Justice of the Peace,” mentioned one of many Congress leaders.
Telangana Excessive Court docket advocate Ok Karuna Sagar, who represents the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering within the state, advised ThePrint that Meenakshi Natarajan is conscious of the incident and a lawyer has additionally been represented by the Congress to answer the courtroom.
“Election affidavits are aimed toward guaranteeing transparency and accountability. In keeping with studies, the returning officer discovered that Meenakshi Natarajan didn’t disclose the pending proceedings in a courtroom in Hyderabad regardless of understanding it and therefore rejected her nomination,” he mentioned.
He added that the rejection of the Rajya Sabha nomination below Part 36(2)(b) of the Illustration of the Individuals Act, 1951 underlines the elemental democratic precept that full disclosure shouldn’t be non-compulsory however necessary.
Nonetheless, Meenakshi Natarajan, addressing the media in Madhya Pradesh, rejected this declare and referred to as the rejection “an try by the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering to control Rajya Sabha elections”.
Many different Congress leaders got here to her protection after the EC determined to not contest her candidature. “Meenakshi Nagarajan’s candidature was canceled attributable to a misunderstanding, however there is no such thing as a felony case. So the place is the query of the felony case that existed, which she needed to disclose? A mere notification from the courtroom has no obligation to be disclosed.”
Telangana Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi recorded a message from his abroad base.
Virtually all of the sitting ministers within the Telangana cupboard have written to the EC denouncing the unfair therapy, and numerous office-bearers within the state have referred to as for protests in opposition to the Ambedkar statue within the metropolis.
This dramatic flip of occasions drew a pointy response from Bharatiya Janata Social gathering chief BL Santosh. On his social media deal with X, he mentioned, “The complete INCIndia brigade and media bagpipers shouting from the rooftops can’t reply even a single query. Who amongst their comrades introduced the Telangana incident into the general public area? Higher plug that gap to arrest future disgrace.”
(Edited by Tony Lai)
