Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary N. Lokesh on October 6 (Friday) dared the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) to disclose the details of the “₹100-crore funds it received in the form of electoral bonds” ahead of the 2019 Assembly elections.
Mr. Lokesh was addressing the media after he, along with his mother Bhuvaneswari and wife Brahmani, met his father and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu during ‘mulaqat’ in the Rajamahendravaram Central Prison, where he had been lodged since his judicial remand on September 10 in the skill development scam case.
“During the 2019 Assembly elections, the YSRCP had received electoral bonds worth ₹100 crore, which was more than what the TDP received. We dare the YSRCP to disclose the details,” Mr. Lokesh said.
The AP Crime Investigation Department (CID) alleged that ₹27 crore of the ₹371-crore skill development scandal had been diverted to the TDP account, Mr. Lokesh said, and added that the amount was a part of the funds received through membership fee, and that the party submitted the details of the transactions for the 2018-19 financial year to the court.
“Initially, the ruling party claimed that the scandal was worth ₹3,000 crore. Later, the CID said it was more than ₹371 crore. Now, it makes a fresh claim that ₹27 crore has been diverted to the TDP account. By the time the probe concludes, the CID will realise that the project involves zero illegal transaction,” Mr. Lokesh said.
Referring to the legal battle, Mr. Lokesh said it was going on in the Supreme Court to ensure that the charges framed against Mr. Naidu were dropped.
On the alleged role of the BJP in the episode, Mr. Lokesh said, “We have no clue about the saffron party’s role so far. I stayed for three weeks in Delhi, where we apprised the President about the way Mr. Naidu had been targeted by the ruling YSRCP. We have not not sought the appointment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah. All the leaders of political parties have condemned the arrest of Mr. Naidu.”
Stating that the YSRCP was afraid to face the joint protests being staged by the TDP and Jana Sena Party (JSP), he said, “The TDP leaders are being stopped from staging protests. It signals that the YSRCP is scared of our party despite Mr. Naidu being lodged in prison.”
Mr. Lokesh said a joint action committee comprising leaders of the TDP and JSP would soon decide the course of action.
“Mr. Naidu has directed us to continue our fight in a peaceful manner. He has expressed concern over Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s silence on sharing of the Krishna river waters,” he said.
Mr. Lokesh appealed to the cadres and people to express their solidarity with Mr. Naidu by switching off power in their houses and lighting candles, or flashing cell phone lights, for five minutes from 7 p.m. on October 7.
