High-voltage drama: Wife shoots quit Cong letters, DS says not me

Hyderabad: Amidst a raging family feud over Congress veteran D Srinivas’ move to rejoin the grand old party, his wife Vijayalakshmi shot two resignation letters on his behalf even as younger son, D Arvind cited his father’s failing health to stay in political wilderness.DS, however, told TOI on phone — “Who released the letter and when? I am 100% with Congress.” The grand old party shot back, saying there was no pressure on DS to rejoin. “He wanted to return to the party and came to Gandhi Bhavan on a wheelchair and happily rejoined. There is a threat to DS’ life from his own family and police should provide him with security,” said Congress vice-president G Niranjan.DS, a three-time MLA, served as minister and PCC chief before joining BRS in 2015. His youngest son D Arvind is a BJP MP from Nizamabad. His eldest son D Sanjay, served as Nizamabad mayor during the Congress rule in undivided Andhra Pradesh.The family feud unravelled after Vijayalakshmi released a letter stating “This is DS resignation to whomsoever it may concern. This is not the time to do politics. The way he was taken back into the party was inappropriate. He had suffered a brain stroke and paralysis. He suffered fits late Sunday due to the stress unleashed by you. With folded hands, I urge Congress not to venture this side. He is suffering from health complications and should be allowed to be at peace at his age."A few hours later, she released another letter, this time on the letter head of D Srinivas with his signature. It was addressed to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge with copies to TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy. I had gone to Gandhi Bhavan to bless my son, D Sanjay, who was rejoining Congress. The media reported I too rejoined the party. I will always remain a Congressman, but due to my age and ill health, I have decided to stay away from active politics. It is not fair to link my rejoining with my son’s ambition to contest on a Congress ticket. We all know Congress follows a rule for giving tickets. I am requesting everybody not to drag me into controversy. Please take this letter as my resignation, if you think I have rejoined Congress and approve it.” The letter had DS’s signature with Vijayalakshmi as witness.His younger son and BJP’s Nizamabad MP, D Arvind, said: “I am a BJP man and my father a pucca Congressman. But Congress ignored him all these years and Sonia Gandhi too didn’t call even once when he fell ill.”DS’ eldest son, D Sanjay, smelt a conspiracy against him and his father. In a veiled reference to his brother, D Arvind, he said his mother did not seek a single vote for his father in all these years. “How can she come on social media and release letters? She is under the influence of someone, maybe Arvind. I am in touch with my father and we are still with Congress,” he said.A television channel quoted Sanjay saying Arvind blackmailed his father and forced his signature on the letter. Also, Sanjay purportedly spoke about a property dispute in the family.