Chief Minister and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, who is scheduled to leave for a visit to the national capital New Delhi on Thursday evening, is said to be planning to meet union home minister Amit Shah. According to sources, his main agenda is to discuss the possible arrest of former chief minister and YSRCP chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy in the AP Liquor scam and subsequent developments.
During the YSRCP regime, the entire liquor business was run under the auspices of the government and there were allegations that large-scale bribes changed hands in it. The coalition government has formed a special investigation team (SIT) and issued orders for a thorough investigation. In this investigation, the SIT has arrested almost all those who played a key role in the scam.
Among them, the key accused Kasireddy Rajasekhara Reddy and Sajjala Sridhar Reddy were taken into custody and interrogated by the SIT officials. Along with this investigation, the SIT found that all fingers were pointing towards Jaganmohan Reddy as the ultimate beneficiary of the bribed amount. SIT claims of over Rs 3,600 crore bribes were collected in a systematic way and it was diverted into havala investments.
In this context, the YCP ranks also almost came to an estimate that Jagan’s arrest was inevitable. At the same time, Chandrababu made key comments on the liquor scam in Tuesday’s cabinet meeting. He advised that none of the ministers should speak out about it and not bring unnecessary controversy. With these comments, analyses emerged that the stage was set for Jagan’s arrest.
If a former Chief Minister and a party leader is to be arrested, the Center should at least say something. In that too, the coalition government is the key. In this context, Chandrababu, who has reportedly decided to discuss with Amit Shah before his scheduled NITI Aayog meeting. Chandrababu, who will meet Amit Shah on Friday morning, will present detailed details related to the liquor scam.
In this regard, it may be recalled that TDP ranks are of the view that in 2023 Chandrababu Naidu was arrested by Jaganmohan Reddy’s government on the directions of Amit Shah, so as to bring pressure on him for a political alliance. In the present changing circumstances, the BJP-led government at the center is dependent upon TDP’s support for its survival.
