Andhra CM meets Sonia

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has reportedly cautioned Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and asked him to put the things in order in the state. At the same time, the Congress leadership also insists that he will not be removed from the CM's post.

Reddy was asked to meet his party president after the recent police firing incident in Khammam district in which seven persons were killed.

According to Reddy, "I met Congress president and explained to her about the background of the police firing. I have also appraised her on the response of the government after the incident. She was satisfied with my explanation."

But according to highly placed sources in the party, Reddy has been cautioned and asked to be more careful about protecting the image of the Congress government in that state. Sonia expressed her disapproval of the police firing and the party high command feels, Reddy administration has failed to tackle the situation.

However, Congress sees no reason to remove Reddy as the move might show Congress succumbing to pressure from the Left. Digvijay Singh, the party general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh, told reporters today: "The question (of removing YSR) doesn't arise."

After meeting Gandhi, Reddy again took pot-shots at the Left later in the day. He compared the Nandigram incident with Khammam, saying, "To the best of my knowledge, no compensation, no judicial inquiry or no action against the police was taken in Nandigram as we have done."