11 January, 2026, 8:54 pm Central - 23°C Rain

It’s not me – Doctor Mahendra Reddy

It’s not me – Doctor Mahendra Reddy

Minister for Agriculture Doctor Mahendra Reddy. [image: Fijian Govt.]

Minister for Agriculture, Doctor Mahendra Reddy has today said that he is not the minister who is alleged to have made comments on why a teacher and rice farmer was wearing a sulu vakataga.

Doctor Reddy says there are comments being made by some on the ground that he is the minister.

However he says he has never done that.

Doctor Reddy also revealed that he had met the teacher and rice farmer who has made the allegations in a talanoa session with the Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum over the weekend. He claims that the teacher had asked Doctor Reddy to promote him to headteacher in 2015.

Although concerns were raised in the talanoa session, the Minister for Agriculture says there are no major agriculture-related issues in the North and people are happy.

He says he will visit the area in the next few weeks.

Meanwhile the rice farmer of Dreketi had told Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum that a government minister had allegedly asked him whether something was wrong with him as he was wearing a sulu vakataga.

The farmer who is also a teacher in the North told Sayed-Khaiyum that the alleged incident happened after the last elections.

The man who is a Fijian of Indian descent says he then told the Minister that there is nothing wrong with wearing the sulu as the current government wants everyone to live as one.

He further told Sayed-Khaiyum that the Government Minister had also asked him whether the Fijian people will like him if he will wear a sulu.

The farmer says he is a man of two cultures and has been working with Fijians for long.

We have sent questions to Sayed-Khaiyum and asked what actions will be taken based on allegations made by the rice farmer.

He is yet to respond.

FEATURE NEWS
IWA seeks answers on delayed report into CWM Ante-Natal clinic leak
International Women’s Association Fiji President, Judy Compain, is calling on the Ministry of Health on how long it will take for them to investig...
4 hours ago
LATEST NEWS
From prison walls to graduating at FNU : Aisea Toribau to appear on fijivillage Straight Talk
From the walls of prison to graduating at the Fiji National University - Aisea Toribau will appear on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan at ...
3 hours ago

Flood waters affect bus services to Qauia
Due to heavy rainfall, the Qauia Bridge is currently flooded, and for safety reasons, the Qauia Bus Service will not enter Qauia Village until the ...
3 hours ago

Dozens arrested and one police officer injured in Minneapolis protests
At least 29 people have been arrested in Minneapolis during protests over the death of a woman who was shot by a US Immigration and Customs ...
4 hours ago

EFL Customer Care Centre in Namoli House temporarily closed
The Energy Fiji Limited (EFL) Customer Care Centre in Namoli House, Lautoka will be temporarily closed until further notice due to a recent fire ...
4 hours ago

Lautoka Town Council acts on illegal dumping in Wairabetia and Saweni Top
Following successful enforcement action against illegal dumping along Savu Street in Lautoka, Litter Prevention Officers have once again identified ...
4 hours ago



Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations

CFL radio frequencies
IN DEPTH
Electricity tariff increase for users consuming more than 100 units
There is an increase in the electricity tariff rate for consumers using more than 100 units from 1 January next year.Fijian Competition and Consumer ...
9 days ago

Fiji needs to act on human trafficking indicators associated with Grace Road Group
The United States remains deeply concerned about indicators of trans-national organised crime and human trafficking in Fiji associated with the Grace ...
20 days ago

Cheap seed oils are not good for our health - O'Neill
With over 80 percent of deaths in Fiji caused by cardiovascular disease based on the 2011 report, naturopath and nutritionist Barbara O’Neill is ...
20 days ago

TOP