"All relevant files come to the ministers at least a couple of days before the Cabinet meeting. They cannot claim that they signed the files under the Chief Minister's pressure or that they had no knowledge that corruption was involved. It's unpardonable," TDP politburo member and former minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said in a statement today.
Ministers could not be "mute spectators" to the government's "dubious" decisions as they were "collectively responsible", as per Article 164(2) of the Constitution.
Pleading ignorance would amount to violation of the oath they had taken under the Constitution, Yanamala pointed out.
"Such ministers are a grave danger to the state," the former minister noted.
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy owed an explanation to people on why he was continuing the same set of ministers in his Cabinet, he said.
Yanamala said, apart from the 26 controversial Government Orders related to land and water allocation, stamps and registration fee exemption and other incentives issued during YSR tenure, 14 more GOs of similar nature issued during the period were coming to light now.
These GOs were issued not in public interest but to serve vested interests, he alleged. MORE