The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Nothing short of blackmail, says Naidu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Nothing short of blackmail, says Naidu

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERAAD, JULY 27. The Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and his predecessor, N. Chandrababu Naidu, confronted each other in the Assembly this evening on the issue of `witch-hunting.'

Participating in the debate on Konaseema power project, Mr. Naidu gave vent to his ire saying that Assembly session was used to announce inquiries against schemes like Neeru-Meeru, Food-for-Work, Yeleru project, weaker section housing, APCOB, power purchase agreements and IMAX

complex.

Congress members jeered and tried to shout him down. "It is nothing short of blackmailing. But we are not scared," Mr. Naidu said.

He charged that the Government did not provide security to Telugu Desam Party members facing threats despite repeated pleas.

No revenge: YSR

Dr. Reddy replied that his Government had ordered inquiries in view of irregularities in various programmes and added that they were not aimed at taking revenge against anybody.

T. Devender Goud (TDP) came to Mr. Naidu's defence stating that 12 inquiries were ordered and alleged that the Government was run by a "group of individuals."

`Political vendetta'

Later, talking to reporters after the Chief Minister announced on the floor of the Assembly that a CID probe was being ordered into the allegations of payoffs, Mr. Naidu charged the ruling party with slinging mud on the TDP in a "pre-planned" manner. Referring to the `big boss' issue, he wondered how an inquiry could be held on the basis of a "fake letter" and added "it is not a document and no court will accept it as documentary evidence."

He defended the PPAs signed by the Transco with private power developers during the previous Government saying "ours was the lowest at that time."

The former Chief Minister took exception to printing of calenders at Government expense with photos of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. "They accused us of spending on publicity. But there is no photo either of the Prime Minister or the President in the calender", he observed.

About his party's stand vis-à-vis the decision of the National Democratic Alliance to boycott parliamentary standing committees, he said that he would consult his party MPs and decide.

Replying to a question, he said his party was in favour of extending reservations to minorities.

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