Andhra HC quashes SEC's order to confine Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy

Andhra Pradesh High Court on Sunday quashed the orders of State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar to confine Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy to his residence till the completion of the gram panchayat elections.

However, the court has supported the orders that the minister should not be allowed to talk to the media as the SEC opined that the minister's comments were an indirect threat to voters.

The minister has filed a house motion petition in the high court on Saturday, challenging the orders of the SEC. He urged that the SEC orders confining him without any prior notice and without taking his version are "anti-constitutional".

Reddy had alleged that the SEC has become crazy about caste and is issuing orders on the behest of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu.Responding to the orders issued by SEC to the Director General of Police (DGP) to restrain him, the minister had said that he stuck to his comments. He reiterated that if officials cross their limits and implement the orders of the SEC, action will be taken against them.Reddy, while speaking to the media, had said that "I just saw the orders of the SEC on television. One friend in the government also told me the same. If the DGP is to implement the orders of SEC, he will do so. We are not opposing that. I say only one thing. One crazy fellow has joined another crazy fellow and is issuing such orders insulting a minister."

( With inputs from ANI )