Speaker accepts YSR Congress MPs' resignations
New Delhi, June 21: Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Thursday accepted resignations of five Lok Sabha MPs of the YSR Congress party.
The MPs had submitted their resignations on April 6 -- the last day of budget session -- to protest against the refusal of the Central government to accord Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.
According to a bulletin from Lok Sabha, the speaker has accepted the resignations of the MPs with effect from June 20.
The speaker's move came two weeks after YSR Congress Parliamentary Party leader Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy and others met her to convey that they stand by their resignations and urged her to accept the same immediately.
The other MPs are Y.V. Subba Reddy, Vara Prasadarao Velagapalli, Midhun Reddy and Y.S. Avinash Reddy.
As the Speaker on May 29 had requested the MPs to reconsider their resignations, they met her in the national capital on June 6 to submit fresh letters, urging her to accept their resignations.
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Sanctity of Tirupati 'laddu prasadam' restored, unblemished now, says TTD
Tirupati ( Andhra Pradesh) (PTI): Amid concerns among devotees on the quality of ghee used in the famous Tirupati 'laddu prasadam', the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has said sanctity of the sacred sweetmeat has been restored.
In a social media post on Friday night, the TTD, which manages the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, on the hills of Tirumala said the divinity and purity of Srivari Laddu is unblemished now.
“The divinity and purity of Srivari laddu is unblemished now. TTD is committed to protecting the holiness of Laddu Prasadam to the satisfaction of all the devotees,” the temple board said in the post.
The temple body managing the super-rich shrine on Friday revealed it has come across sub-standard ghee and presence of lard in samples tested for quality, echoing claims first made by Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu two days ago.
With the fingers of accusation being pointed at the previous YSRCP regime over the issue, former CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy described the matter as "diversion politics," and slammed it as a "concocted story."
The Centre has sought a report on the matter from the Andhra Pradesh government and promised suitable action after examining it.
Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi called for an investigation into the allegations.
Citing a lab report on Friday, the TTD stated that there was presence of 'lard' (pig fat) and other impurities in the ghee.
TTD Executive Officer J Shyamala Rao said lab tests have revealed the presence of animal fat and lard in chosen samples and the board was in the process of blacklisting the contractor who supplied 'adulterated' ghee.
