New Delhi: Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, MP from Narsapuram in Andhra Pradesh, has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urging him not to entertain disqualification plea against him made by YSRC parliamentary party leader Vijayasai Reddy. Raju, who wrote the letter on Friday, stated that his critical evaluation of the state government's decisions was not dissidence but dissent. Reddy had written to Birla on Wednesday about the petition moved earlier by the party seeking Raju's disqualification and said there was "inaction" from the office of the Speaker.
He said that the party had submitted a representation in July last year seeking disqualification of the MP citing provisions in the constitution and rules concerning defection. He said the party delegations had also met the Speaker several times. Reddy urged the Speaker to act with urgency on fresh disqualification petition which would be filed by the party in due course and said it "would not be desirable to let a member of the Lok Sabha continue to attend the house when he should legally, morally and ethically be out of it".