Visakhapatnam, July 15 : YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP Y.S. Vijayasai Reddy on Monday condemned reports in a section of media linking him to a woman officer and threatened to take legal action against those who were trying to defame him.

Addressing a news conference here, the YSRCP Parliamentary Party leader said he would initiate legal action against the media houses and journalists who carried baseless stories.

He said he would not spare anyone who tarnished his image by spreading false stories.

Vijayasai Reddy, a close aide of YSRCP chief and former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, termed the allegations against him cheap attempts to distort his image. Alleging that a section of the media is running a defamatory campaign against him, he lashed out at the journalists involved, saying they did not have minimum courtesy and intelligence to cross-check facts while publishing a story insulting a tribal woman.

"Everyone knows what I am and what my personality is. I don't do blackmailing like them," he said.

He alleged that after the TDP-led coalition government came to power, a conspiracy began to make baseless allegations against YSRCP leaders.

"People are watching TDP's devil rule. They will teach them a lesson in the coming days," he said while exuding confidence that YSRCP will return to power after five years.

Vijayasai Reddy said that someone came to his house in Vijayawada on Sunday and asked if he had run away, adding that the man was definitely from TDP and made it clear that he was not afraid of such tactics.

"I came from a small family and grew up through hard work. I am not someone who blackmails and extorts money,' he said.

Endowment Department's Assistant Commissioner Shanti on Sunday broke down before media persons while terming baseless reports linking her to Vijayasai Reddy. She said she met the YSRCP MP only in Visakhapatnam and discussed department-related matters with him. The officer said she had separated from her first husband Madan Mohan in 2016 and married another man Subhash in 2020. She said her first husband tried to malign her by making false allegations. Shanti said she was disturbed by the allegations made against her. She also claimed that since she is a tribal, false allegations of corruption were made to harass her.

/IANS