Upping the ante on corruption in the nine-year Congress rule, former Chief Minister and TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu has dared Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy for a public debate on television.
Resuming his padayatra after a two-day break, he recalled that when the TDP moved a ‘no confidence’ motion against the YSR Government, Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy was chief whip and had supported the late Chief Minister. Targeting Congress and YSRC, he described them as chips of the same block.
Targeting AICC president Sonia Gandhi, he said one warning from her would have restrained YSR. With her encouragement, YSR’s corruption became rampant.
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Both YSR and Vijayamma on the other hand failed to put a stop to the corrupt practices of YS Jaganmohan Reddy, finally leading to his being jailed.
Countering the contention of the charge-sheeted Ministers that they had signed files at the behest of the then Chief Minister and feigning ignorance about behind the screen manipulations, he asked, “How much did you get in the deals? People should give a thought to the corrupt practices of the Congress government and if they were convinced should support him, he appealed.
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Mr. Naidu demanded that the Chief Minister apologise for charging the TDP with opposing SC/ST Sub-Plan Act or produce documentary evidence. What the TDP demanded was the sub-plan for Madiga and its sub-castes in proportion to population, he said. He alleged that Rs.22,500 crore had been diverted during the nine years to the other departments.
Accusing the Congress of playing havoc with the power sector, he predicted that the power scenario would worsen in the next one year. Apart from waiver of farm loans, tenant farmers would be provided interest-free loans if he was voted to power, he said.