Vijayasai Reddy skips SIT appearance in liquor scam case
Vijayasai Reddy
, who was scheduled to appear before the
Special Investigation Team
(SIT) on Saturday in connection with the ongoing alleged liquor scam investigation, informed officials that he would not be able to attend the inquiry today due to pre-scheduled engagements.
According to official sources, he conveyed his inability to attend and assured the SIT that he would communicate a new date for appearance either tomorrow or the day after.
This marks the second summons issued to the former MP in connection with the case. Vijayasai Reddy earlier appeared before the SIT on April 18, when he was questioned for several hours. During that interrogation, sources say he provided names of key individuals allegedly involved in the scam, some of whom are believed to have played central roles in the execution and cover-up of the illegal operations.
Following the former MP's statements during the April round of questioning, SIT officials intensified their investigation and subsequently arrested 11 individuals linked to the case. All of them are currently in judicial custody.
On the same day he was expected to appear before investigators, Vijayasai Reddy posted a cryptic message on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), quoting a verse from the Bhagavad Gita.
The post roughly translated to, "Those who act must inevitably bear the consequences," triggering speculation about the timing of the message amid his involvement in the liquor scam probe.
The SIT is continuing its investigation into the multi-crore scam, which allegedly involved a network of political figures, bureaucrats, and private contractors engaged in irregularities related to liquor procurement and distribution during the previous administration.
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Clause 3 of the article layer down the qualifications for the appointment: 'The members to be nominated by the President…shall consist of persons having special knowledge or practical experience in respect of such matters as the following, namely — Literature, science, art and social service.' 3. Nominated member can join a political party within six months of taking his/ her seat in the House, They enjoy all the powers and privileges to which the elected Members of Parliament are entitled. They can take part in the proceedings of the House in the normal manner. 4. Nominated members are not allowed to vote in the election of the President. They do have the right to vote in the election of the Vice-President, however. 5. Pitching for a provision in the Constitution to allow eminent persons to be nominated to the Council of States, N Gopalaswami Ayyangar, who was part of the Constitution Drafting Committee, said: 'We also give an opportunity, perhaps, to seasoned people who may not be in the thickest of the political fray, but who might be willing to participate in the debate with an amount of learning and importance which we do not ordinarily associate with the House of the People (Lok Sabha).' 6. However, over time, the high ideal of the nomination came to be eroded. Ruling dispensations have repeatedly used the nominated category to shore up their numbers in the House, to dispense favours, and to get their preferred individuals into Parliament. 7. Rajya Sabha has a limited role in the case of Money Bills. It cannot amend a Money Bill, but can recommend amendments within a stipulated time, and Lok Sabha may either accept or reject all or any of these. 8. However, Rajya Sabha enjoys some special powers. If it passes a resolution by a majority of not less than two-thirds of members present and voting, saying that it is 'necessary or expedient in the national interest' that Parliament should make a law on a matter enumerated in the State List, Parliament becomes empowered to make a law on the subject. Such a resolution remains in force for a maximum of one year but this period can be extended by one year at a time by passing a similar resolution. 9. A similar route can be adopted for recommending creation of one or more All India Services common to the Union and the states. Parliament becomes empowered to create such services. 10. Also, Rajya Sabha has a role to play if the President, as empowered by the Constitution, issues proclamations in the event of national emergency, in the event of failure of constitutional machinery in a State, or in the case of financial emergency'. Every such proclamation has to be approved by both Houses of Parliament within a stipulated period. 11. Under certain circumstances, however, Rajya Sabha enjoys special powers. If a proclamation is issued at a time when Lok Sabha has been dissolved or the dissolution of Lok Sabha takes place within the period allowed for its approval, then the proclamation remains effective, if the resolution approving it is passed by Rajya Sabha within the period specified under Articles 352, 356 and 360 of the Constitution. 1. Rajya Sabha is a permanent House and cannot be dissolved. To ensure continuity, one-third of its members retire after every second year, under Article 83(1) of the Constitution, and 'biennial elections' are held to fill these vacancies. The term of a member is six years. 2. Out of the 245 members, 12 are nominated by the President and 233 are representatives of the States and Union territories of Delhi and Puducherry. Vacancies arising due to resignation, death or disqualification are filled up through bypolls, and those elected serve out the remainder of their predecessors' term. 3. The Fourth Schedule to the Constitution provides for allocation of Rajya Sabha seats to the states and Union Territories, on the basis of the population of each state. 4. Rajya Sabha MPs are elected by MLAs through an indirect election. Article 80(4) provides that members shall be elected by the elected members of state Assemblies through a system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote. 5. The number of votes a candidate requires depends on the number of vacancies and the strength of the House. If there is only one vacancy, the required quota under the Election Commission's Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, is calculated by taking the number of votes polled, divided it by 2, and adding 1. For example, if 100 votes are polled in an Assembly, the Rajya Sabha candidate would need: 100/2 + 1 = 51 votes 6. If there is more than one vacancy, the equation is based on an assigned value of 100 for every first-preference vote. The values of the votes credited to all candidates are totalled. The total is divided by 1 more than the number of vacancies, and 1 is added to this quotient. For example, if 100 members of an Assembly vote for 3 Rajya Sabha vacancies, the required quota by any candidate would be (100 × 100)/(3 + 1) + 1 = 2501 If for any seat, candidates fail to get the specified number, the second-preference votes will be taken into account, but with a lower value. (1) Consider the following statements with reference to the nominated members of Rajya Sabha: 1. They enjoy all the powers and privileges to which the elected Members of Parliament are entitled. 2. They are not allowed to vote in the election of the President. 3. They do have the right to vote in the election of the Vice-President. How many of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None (2) Rajya Sabha has equal powers with Lok Sabha in: (UPSC CSE 2020) (a) the matter of creating new All India Services (b) amending the Constitution (c) the removal of the government (d) making cut motion (Sources: The 4 new members nominated to Rajya Sabha, Why does Rajya Sabha have 'nominated' MPs, and who gets nominated?, Explained: How are Rajya Sabha MPs elected? Why are the polls important?) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for June 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Roshni Yadav is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She is an alumna of the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she pursued her graduation and post-graduation in Political Science. She has over five years of work experience in ed-tech and media. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. Her interests lie in national and international affairs, governance, economy, and social issues. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
