Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Yadav furious with TDP, threatens to speak out

By W. Chandrakanth

PUNE SEPT. 19. The former Minister and TDP legislator, C Krishna Yadav, who is presently under the Special Investigation Team (SIT) custody for his alleged involvement in the fake stamp paper scam, has threatened to `spill the beans' if he is `fixed' in this case.

In a 40-minute interview with this correspondent in the Cantonment police station lock-up in the wee hours of today, Mr. Yadav appeared to be furious with the Telugu Desam leadership for disowning him.

"Till a week ago, I was hopeful that the leadership would intervene. I have even expressed my loyalties to the TDP bosses in a conversation with a reporter of a Telugu daily. But, now I feel that I am treated like a doormat. The reality is slowly dawning on me. Why shouldn't I hit back?" he asked.

Mr. Yadav was furious about the raids on his houses in Hyderabad last night. He said that he had not accumulated vast wealth unlike his colleagues in the party. His circle was confined to a few friends none of whom was fabulously rich. "I have come up in life the hard way."

Referring to the taped conversation purported to have been made between him and Abdul Karim Telgi, the prime accused in the scam, he said that it could not be the basis for keeping him in custody forever. "Some of the leaders have made money by getting involved in shady deals. I am small fry compared to them. I am putting them (the TDP leaders) on notice. Clear the mess for me or face the consequences," he warned.

Asked what gave him the feeling that he was being used by the party, Mr.Yadav said: "I am sure they are resisting further arrests of political leaders in A.P. for obvious reasons. I reiterate that I am not at all involved in this scam. I have faith in God and let the law take its own course. But if the powers that be try to change its course only against me, I cannot take it lying down," he said.

But was he not aware of the consequences of any links with Telgi? "What makes the SIT conclude that I was a party to the scam? An alleged taped conversation? If that is all they have against me to book me under MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) why not arrest the bigger players?" he asks.

Asked about the fallout of the scam on his political career, he added: "I am least bothered on this count. The good wishes of people are with me. I am not worried." He doesn't stop there and goes ahead to warn others: "It is they who should now start worrying about their political careers." Mr. Yadav, however, refuses to divulge any names `at this juncture.'

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