The YSRC on Sunday demanded that TDP president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu make clear if the voice recorded in the tapes purportedly containing the conversation with nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson was his.
“The TDP president should clarify whether Telangana TDP MLA A. Revanth Reddy had handed over Rs. 50 lakh to Mr. Stephenson with his sanction. Mr. Naidu should clarify his stand on the issue instead of diverting people’s attention by demanding the implementation of Section 8 of the AP Reorganisation Act,” YSRC political affairs committee member Ambati Rambabu said.
Mr. Rambabu added that Mr. Naidu had been constantly on the move ever since the cash-for-vote episode came up. He said the Chief Minister was afraid of the prospect of notices being served on him by law enforcement agencies and hence was making unscheduled visits to various places.
The YSRC leader accused Mr. Naidu of trying to divert people’s attention from the cash-for-vote episode on one pretext or the other.
“It was the implementation of Section 8 earlier, and the TDP is now harping on Union Territory status for Hyderabad. Mr. Naidu’s statements are incoherent and irrelevant,” he said. He ridiculed the TDP’s call for vesting law and order powers with the Governor and recalled how the TDP was opposed to the continuation of the institution of the Governor in the past.
Mr. Rambabu was equally critical of actor and Jana Sena founder Pawan Kalyan, questioning as to why the latter was silent on the cash-for-vote episode. “Mr. Pawan Kalyan had also not visited the affected farmers in Thullur and areas under the Capital Region Development Authority in spite of promising them that he would stand by them if the government forcibly acquired lands,” he said.
“He is behaving more as a paid artiste of the Chief Minister. Mr. Kalyan should seek clarification from Mr. Naidu whether he was involved in the cash-for-vote episode,” he added.
Mr. Naidu should clarify if Revanth Reddy had handed over Rs. 50 lakh to Mr. Stephenson with his sanction.
Ambati Rambabu
YSRC political affairs committee member
