AS FAR as messages go, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu could not have planned one with more symbolism. During the Andhra Pradesh Assembly proceedings Thursday, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief asked all MLAs who had cases lodged against them by the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government to stand up. Nearly 160 MLAs were soon on their feet, with the only ones who remained seated being the five members of the YSRCP. Party chief and former CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was not present in the House.
Those who stood up included TDP MLAs and those of its ruling alliance partners, the JanaSena Party (JSP) and BJP. C Ayyanna Patrudu, who also faced cases under the previous regime, would have also stood up but remained seated as he is now the Speaker.
Naidu, who has accused Jagan of using the police and other state agencies for “vendetta politics”, himself faced several cases under the YSRCP government. For one such case, an alleged scam in the Skill Development Corporation, the TDP chief was arrested on September 9 last year and was in jail for 53 days before getting bail. According to the Andhra Pradesh branch of the Crime Investigation Department at the time, at least Rs 241 crore earmarked for the corporation was allegedly diverted to five shell companies.
The others who faced cases under the YSRCP government and stood up at Naidu’s urging included JSP chief K Pawan Kalyan; Narayana Group of Educational Institutions founder P Narayana; former TDP state chief K Atchannaidu; Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh; former TDP state ministers K Kalavenkata Rao, N Chinarajappa; former YSRCP MP and now TDP MLA K Raghu Ramakrishna Raju; Mines and Geology Minister Kollu Ravindra; former TDP general secretary Bonda Umamaheswara Rao; former TDP whip D Narendra Kumar; and Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav.
Before CM Naidu got those with cases against them to stand up, he presented a document in the Assembly claiming that 591 TDP leaders had faced prosecution under the Jagan dispensation between 2019 and 2024, of whom 162 were arrested. The document also claimed that 24 JSP, 16 BJP and 12 Congress leaders also faced cases. There are no convictions on record.
As per the document, among those elected MLAs again this time, Chintamaneni Prabhakar has the most cases against him as well as instances of arrest, at 48 and 15, respectively. Five leaders had at least 20 cases against them; Chandrababu Naidu and his son faced 17 cases each.
J C Prabhakar Reddy of the TDP, who is now a former MLA, however, tops the list, with 66 cases lodged against him under the YSRCP government, with 46 arrests.
Most of the former ministers and TDP MLAs who had cases lodged against them between 2014 and 2019 were named for alleged insider trading over land in the Amaravati capital region or during the realignment of Amaravati capital boundaries to benefit some landlords.
Pawan Kalyan was booked for rash and negligent driving in November 2022 after he climbed atop his speeding SUV as attempts were made to stop him from reaching a protest site at Ippatam village in Guntur district.
In 2022, P Narayana found himself behind bars after the government alleged that a teacher at one of his institutions leaked a question paper. He was granted bail within a few hours after it emerged that the teacher had taken a photo of the question paper several minutes after it was given to students and circulated it. In 2020, K Atchannaidu was arrested in connection to an alleged scam in the purchase of drugs and other material in the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) hospitals and dispensaries.
State Home Minister V Anitha and former TDP MLA J C Diwakar Reddy were booked under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act after allegations emerged that the leader intimidated and threatened someone. Several other MLAs were booked under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 353 (assault of criminal force to deter a public servant) and 149 (offence by any member of an unlawful assembly).
“It was funny. When (Chandrababu Naidu) asked in the House (on Thursday) how many of us had at least one case filed against us by Jagan, several MLAs raised their hands and then stood up and looked to their left or right and giggled as everyone was standing. Jagan did not spare anyone, everyone associated with TDP was booked in one case or the other,” Umamaheswara Rao said.
Naidu, who had in November 2021 walked out of the Assembly in protest against the behaviour of YSRCP MLAs and alleged that his wife was the target of character assassination by the YSRCP, had vowed to bring back “decorum” and “dignity” to the House if his party returned to power. Sources said that in spite of the TDP-led NDA having a brute majority, with 164 seats in the 175-member Assembly, there has been no heckling of the YSRCP MLAs, most of whom have skipped the sessions so far.
On Friday, Jagan came under attack for camping in New Delhi to organise protests alleging law and order issues in the state after the TDP came to power in June. After YSRCP MLAs raised the matter of their party’s leader facing attacks, state Home Minister V Anitha asked why Jagan was absent when such a crucial matter was to be discussed. “I want to know the names and details of the 36 persons that Jagan says have been killed due to political vendettas. Why is no one able to give that information? Instead of staging a drama in Delhi and tarnishing the image of the state, the YSRCP should provide the details. We will investigate and take action,” she said.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First uploaded on: 26-07-2024 at 20:53 IST
