Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday denied match-fixing between his party and the Congress, and charged YSR Congress Party president and Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy with indulging in mudslinging against him following CBI crackdown on the companies owned by the youth leader.
Kicking off a campaign in support of social activist Anna Hazare's demand for Jan Lokpal bill here at Gandhi statue near the GVMC, he said the FIR registered by the CBI against the Kadapa MP for indulging in corrupt practices when his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was the Chief Minister had vindicated his party's allegation.
Padayatra
Mr. Naidu led a padayatra from the Gandhi statue to the LIC junction along with CPI activists. En route, he garlanded the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar and addressed a public meeting at Jagadamba junction.
Later, he took part in a roadshow to create awareness against corruption at various places in the city.
Mr. Naidu said the Telugu Desam founded by N.T. Rama Rao had not compromised on its fight against “corrupt” Congress and in safeguarding the self-respect of the Telugus.
“Congress leaders, including Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy, had filed nine cases in the AP High Court and the Supreme Court but failed to prove any charge against him,” he said and pointed out that due to complaint lodged by his party, the High Court had passed strictures against the then Chief Minister N. Janardhan Reddy over permission given to some professional colleges.
‘Big drama'
Hitting out at the YSR Congress, he termed the resignations submitted by MLAs loyal to Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy as a “big drama” and wondered why there was so much panic in the Jagan camp over CBI crackdown. He said Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy earned huge amounts in exchange of favours doled out to various corporates during the regime of Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy.
Referring to the letter addressed by Mr. Jagan's mother Vijayamma to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said nowhere did she mention that her son was innocent and pointed out that she had admitted that there was a scam over Volkswagen when her husband was the Chief Minister.