Jagan dares CBI to probe Naidu, Kiran land deals

                                                           

Embattled Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Sunday hit out at the Central Bureau of Investigation daring it to inquire alleged irregularities in land allotments during the regimes of the Telugu Desam Party and the present Congress government headed by N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.

When States like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat give land to industries as part of industrial development free of cost, no one questions the integrity of the Chief Ministers there. When my father allotted land to two pharmaceutical companies at Rs. 7 lakh per acre, it is being considered as a crime,” he said.

Referring to the TDP rule, Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy said, “Mr. Chandrababu Naidu gave away prime land to IMG, Emaar in Hyderabad for peanuts. Why hasn't the CBI probed these nefarious deals?”

The YSR Congress Party chief hit out at the Chief Minister alleging that he had allotted land to a cement factory at a rate of just Rs.1 lakh per acre.

“I am being framed after I bought the land for Bharati Cements by paying Rs.1 lakh per acre,” the YSR Congress president quipped.

In his first public reaction a day after the CBI filed a charge-sheet in the court in illegal assets case, Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy, who is in Guntur as part of his ‘Odarpu yatra', defended the land allotments during his father former Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy's rule.

He said land was allotted to Aurobindo and Hetero Pharmaceutical companies at Jadcherla in Mahabubnagar district with a view to generating employment in the backward districts.

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More trouble for Jagan Mohan Reddy?

                                                                       

According to sources on Monday  the CBI will be filing more chargesheets against Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy in the illegal assets case. CBI sources said that a series of chargesheets would be filed regarding investments by certain companies in Raghuram cements.

The source said, “Jagan would feature in all these chargesheets which would be filed within the next two months.”

The CBI has already filed a preliminary chargesheet a few days ago.

What is also known now is that considering that it is a politically volatile case the CBI does not want to effect an arrest on its own and is hoping that Court will take cognisance of the situation and issue a summons and then ask the CBI to take Jagan Mohan Reddy into judicial custody.
The bypolls in 16 of the 17 seats are necessitated by the disqualification of Congress MLAs, who switched loyalty to Jagan and voted against the Congress Government in a floor test held in December last year, while another MLA quit in support of Kadapa MP.

Earlier the YSR Congress party and Jagan Mohan Reddy lashed out at the CBI saying that Jagan Mohan Reddy is being singled out and hasn’t been questioned even once. Reddy also added that he had absolutely no role in the allegations that have been made by the CBI.

A day after CBI filed the chargesheet against him and 12 others, Reddy, the Lok Sabha MP from Kadapa, regretted that attempts are being made to malign his father and late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy who was killed in a helicopter crash.

In its chargesheet, CBI accused Jagan Reddy of getting investments of several crores from firms into his own business as part of quid-pro-quo when his father was the chief minister.

Considering that the case is one which is politically volatile and will also have political implications the timing of the arrest is what the CBI is looking at.

Maintaining that the YS Rajasekhar Reddy's regime made land allotments for employment generation purposes, Kadapa MP Jaganmohan Reddy has questioned as to why the CBI did not look into allotment of lands made during the previous TDP rule.

Reacting to the CBI charge sheet filed in the illegal assets case involving him, Jagan, while speaking at his 'Odarpu Yatra' here last night, defended the land allotments during his late father's regime. "The lands were allotted to private companies in backward Mahaboobnagar and Medak districts to generate large scale employment," he said.

"Why the CBI cannot see the land allocation in the heart of Hyderabad allegedly made by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu at throw away prices and also during the present Congress government," he asked.

Meanwhile, unfazed by the developments in the case involving him, Jagan is going ahead with campaign in Assembly segments where bypolls will be held. He is scheduled to tour Narsapuram and Polavaram
constituencies in West Godavari district from today. These two assembly seats are among the 17 constituencies where the by-elections are due.

"I am being made a scapegoat just because my father is no longer alive...You are actually trying to malign someone who is no longer alive...This is dirty politics," Reddy told TV channels in his first reaction to the chargesheet.

Don't thrust NCTC on states: Jayalalithaa

                                                                     
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to thrust the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) on unwilling states.

She also urged Manmohan Singh to convene a meeting of chief ministers to discuss the matter.


In a letter to the prime minister, Jayalalithaa said: "I request the formation of NCTC may first be ordered to be held in abeyance and a meeting of chief ministers may be convened to discuss this matter.

In a letter to the prime minister, Jayalalithaa said: "I request the formation of NCTC may first be ordered to be held in abeyance and a meeting of chief ministers may be convened to discuss this matter.

"The views of chief ministers will have to be given due consideration and a purposeful discussion on counter terrorism should be made possible. I request an early reply in this matter."

Her demand follows a statement by the Home Secretary that the office memorandum on NCTC has not been withdrawn and is deemed to have come into effect on March 1.

Expressing surprise at the central government convening a meeting of chief ministers April 16 to discuss internal security issues including NCTC, she said: "It is indeed unfortunate that, without taking into consideration the views and sentiments of chief ministers, the constitution of the NCTC is sought to be steamrolled into existence."

States critical of NCTC allege that it will dilute the federal structure.

Radha set to join YSRC

                                                            

Guntur, April 01:

Former PRP leader Vangaveeti Radha Krishna will be joining the YSR Congress Party. He has met Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is here on his Odarpu Yatra on Friday night and expressed his wish. He has got clearance from Jagan.

Mr. Radha Krishna was defeated by Congress candidate and long time rival Malladi Vishnu by a few hundred votes in Vijayawada Central Assembly constituency which constitutes a large part of the erstwhile Vijayawada East Constituency. Vijayawada East Constituency was a stronghold of the Vangaveeti family. The electorate of the constituency elected Mr Radha Krishna's father Mohana Ranga Rao and his mother Ratna Kumari on more then one occasion.

Mr Radhakrishna and Mr Vishnu have several skirmishes over being the heir's of Mohana Ranga Rao's legacy.

While one group of Congress leaders tried to get back into the fold when PCC president Botcha Satyanaryana came to the city the second group opposed it. This led to a clash between Congress workers and Radha Krishna's followers closing the doors for his entry.

After dilly-dallying with joining YSRCP Mr Radha Krishna seems to have finally made his mind. Though there was hectic activity at his house whole day on Sunday Mr Radha Krishna is not available for comment. The Radha Mitra Mandali, an organisation of his followers, announced at the end of the day that it had given him the green signal to join YSR Congress.

There is also no indication on the how and where he is going to join the new party.

Radha was accompanied by former minister and East Godavari leader Jakkampudi Rama Mohan Rao’s son Jakkampudi Raja, brother Chinni, Sunkara Chinni and others. They had discussions with Jagan for over an hour in the residence of former MLA Mekathoti Sucharita.
Radha told the media later that he would be joining the YSRC. Radha was in the Congress and also was MLA from Vijayawada East constituency. He later joined the PRP. After the party was merged in the Congress, he has been away from politics.

Ministers fight over 'greater' Guntur

                                                              
GUNTUR: Municipal administration minister Maheedhar Reddy is in a piquant situation with his ministerial colleagues from Guntur district warring over inclusion of villages in 'greater' Guntur, the proposal of which was approved by the government recently. While Kanna Lakshminarayana wants merger of only 10 villages, which are considered to be strongholds of Kapus and dalits, local MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao and rural development minister Dokka Manikya Varaprasad are insisting on the merger of all the 15 villages listed in the proposal for greater Guntur Municipal Corporation. The recent issuance of a draft notification by the municipal administration ministry to elicit a public opinion on the merger of 10 neighouring villages to the existing municipal corporation has triggered a fresh war between arch rivals Kanna and Rayapati. 

minister is in a piquant situation with his ministerial colleagues from Guntur district warring over inclusion of villages in 'greater' Guntur, the proposal of which was approved by the government recently. While Kanna Lakshminarayana wants merger of only 10 villages, which are considered to be strongholds of Kapus and dalits, local MP and rural development minister are insisting on the merger of all the 15 villages listed in the proposal for greater . The recent issuance of a draft notification by the municipal administration ministry to elicit a public opinion on the merger of 10 neighouring villages to the existing municipal corporation has triggered a fresh war between arch rivals Kanna and Rayapati. 

Memories of WC triumph will last forever: Tendulkar

                                                             
India might have completed their first anniversary of the World Cup triumph today, but the memories of the historical feat has left an everlasting impression on Sachin Tendulkar.

endulkar, who was vital to India`s success in the World Cup a year back, said that he will cherish the memories of the triumph throughout his life.


"Time flies but memories last forever. What a day it was!!! 02-04-2011," tweeted Tendulkar as the country celebrates the first anniversary of its second World Cup triumph.

Exactly on the same day a year ago, India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to lift the World Cup after a gap of 28 long years.
 

Hyderabad:overplus for Congress, YSR Reddy named in corruption case

                                                              
In a major embarrassment for Congress, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, has been named in the charge sheet filed by the CBI in an alleged disproportionate assets case, news television channels reported on Monday.
Viewed as the most popular chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, YSR had implemented various welfare schemes and development programmes for the people of the state.
In its charge sheet, CBI accused his son Jagan Reddy of getting investments of several crores from firms into his own business as part of quid-pro-quo when his father was the chief minister.