The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Action against Venkaiah Naidu sought

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 16, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Action against Venkaiah Naidu sought

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 15. Rajya Sabha MP, V. Hanumantha Rao, today urged the State Government to take action against the Bharatiya Janata Party president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, for allegedly "enjoying income'' from land earmarked for reserved categories after he "fraudulently'' got the same allotted in his name.

Mr. Rao, who is also a Secretary in the All India Congress Committee, said that Mr. Naidu had announced that he had surrendered five acres of the land in Nellore district to authorities following news reports that he had "fraudulently' got it allotted for himself.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajashekara Reddy, the newly elected MP said while it was still not known whether Mr. Naidu had actually transferred the said land, his close relatives hold another 35 to 40 acres of land meant for distribution among landless people belonging to the weaker sections.

Besides demanding that the State Government "seize'' the land held by the close relatives of Mr. Naidu, he also said that action should be taken against the BJP chief for the income earned on the five acres of land that was in his possession for over two decades.

Mr. Rao said the land was meant for redistribution under a programme envisaged by the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, and that it would be "grave injustice to her memory to deprive the landless poor of their rights.''

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