Does the CBI intend to close Sakshi, asks Jagan; alleges political conspiracy

                                                                                       
Rayadurg, Andhra Pradesh:  A day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) moved to freeze accounts of his companies, YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy today hit out at the Opposition, saying that the move was an attempt to politically stifle him ahead of the by-elections in the state. He also questioned the CBI's action against his companies.

The investigating agency had, on Tuesday, written to the State Bank of India and the Oriental Bank of Commerce in Hyderabad, directing it to freeze the accounts of three large parts of Jagan's considerable empire - Jagathi Publications, Indira TV and Janani Infrastructure - pending an inquiry by it. It believes that Jagan, one of India's richest politicians with declared assets worth 365 crores, benefited from his father's position as chief minister. YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who died while in office in 2009, allegedly asked companies to invest in Jagan's firms and in return, they were granted licences or other clearances.

"Does the CBI intend to close Sakshi? Why should they freeze accounts?" Jagan asked while speaking to NDTV. "The investors in Sakshi are much bigger companies and they cannot be called my benamis. They can buy me out," said the 39-year-old MP from Kadapa, adding, "I do believe in God and I think Sakshi will go on." He also said that he would move court against the CBI's move.
The YSR Congress chief also slammed the ruling Congress and the Telugu Desam Party, who he alleged had aligned against him. "All of you have joined hands and conspired together just because you are not able to face the political challenge from one person," said Jagan, who is campaigning in Rayadurg in the Anantpur district, ahead of by-elections next month.

Jagan's supporters too have been crying foul over the freezing of accounts, alleging that the move is politically motivated.

"The probe is court-ordered but not court-monitored. It is PMO-monitored with all the attendant pulls and pressures. They are political because they are peeved with Jagan for taking away a large chunk of Congress vote," B Somayajulu, Spokesperson of YSR Congress said.

The move by the CBI on Tuesday came barely 24 hours after summons were issued to Jagan and 12 others - all named as accused in CBI's chargesheet - to appear before a Special CBI Court on May 28. The Andhra Pradesh High Court had, in August last year, directed the CBI to register a case against Jagan and thoroughly inquire into his alleged financial misdeeds. The investigating agency has also booked 73 companies and individuals, alongwith Jagan, on the directions of the High Court.

The agency is probing 26 government orders (GOs) that were issued by six ministers, all from the Congress, and eight bureaucrats from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) during the YSR regime in 2009. The GOs pertain to 26 deals struck between the Andhra Pradesh government and various companies that the 14 people were allegedly responsible for.

"The political catch-22 situation for the Congress is they have to say YSR was honest but want to prove Jaganmohan Reddy was dishonest. They want to say all those who issued those 26 government orders are absolutely clean and correct but the alleged beneficiaries of the GOs have to be proved to be guilty," said K Nageswar, political analyst.

The developments could have significant political ramifications as Andhra Pradesh gears up for byelections to 18 assembly and one Lok Sabha seat in June. Analysts say that Jagan's party, the YSR Congress, appears to have a definite edge that has made, both the Congress and the TDP, nervous.

Hence, the clampdown on the finances on the media houses owned by Jagan is significant. The growing popularity and clout of Jagan, in the last one year, has been attributed, in a large measure, to Sakshi TV and channel. The smooth running of both media houses would now crucially depend on whether Jagan possesses enough liquid cash and whether he can find investors who would be willing to pump in money into his company. 
From NDTV

YSRCP activists, scribes take out protest rallies

                                                                               

YSR Congress functionaries took out a protest rally from the party office to the Collectorate on Wednesday deploring freezing of bank accounts of party president and Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy's companies but did not burnt an effigy as police denied permission.

YSRCP leaders S.B. Amjad Basha, B. Padmavathi, P. Sunil Kumar, Harinarayana, T.P. Ramasubbamma and others deplored freezing of bank accounts without establishing the charges. They alleged vindictive action of freezing of bank accounts of Sakshi newspaper and TV channel amounted to an attack on media freedom. They flayed the government alleging that unable to face Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy politically, it was exerting pressure in other forms.

Meanwhile, scribes took out a rally from YSR Memorial Press Club to Kadapa Collectorate. They alleged that it was a bid to gag the media and stifle its voice. They alleged that freezing of bank accounts would affect the media persons working in the newspaper and TV channel. Rayalaseema Karmika Karshaka Samithi President Ch. Chandrasekhar Reddy condemned the CBI action and alleged that attack on media was making a mockery of democracy.

They submitted a memorandum to District Collector V. Anil Kumar.

From HINDU

No government interference in CBI probe'

                                                                                  

Minister for Endowments C. Ramachandraiah has asserted that the CBI's action against YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy's media units should not be seen as an assault on the freedom of press but as a ‘legitimate action' by the investigating agency only against the managements of the media units which, he alleged, had indulged in serious offence of ‘money laundering'.

“You have invested all your ill-gotten money in your media units but if the CBI launches action against the units as required under the law of the land you cry hoarse that it is an attack on the ‘freedom of the press'. How is it fair,” asked the Minister in his sharp poser to the Kadapa MP's charge that the CBI freezing the bank accounts of his media units was nothing short of a blatant attack on the freedom of the press and as an attack carried out at the behest of its (CBI's) political bosses to settle their political scores with him.

The Minister even went on to say that there were specific government rules which prohibited setting up of industrial units with the wealth obtained through illegitimate and illegal means. The rules also clearly said that units so started would be liable to have their licences cancelled, he asserted.

He also sought to brush aside as totally unfounded Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy and his coterie's allegation that they were seeing the government's ‘hidden hand' behind the CBI's action.

There was absolutely no government interference with the CBI investigation, he said.

From HINDU

Scribes protest freezing of Jagan media firms' accounts

                                                                          

Journalists under the banner of the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) on Wednesday staged a demonstration here condemning the freezing of bank accounts of media firms of YSRC president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Leading the protest in front of the Prakasam Bhavan, Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists ( State Vice-President I V Subba Rao wanted the State Government to intervene and protect the interests of the journalists working in the media firms.

“Crippling the functioning of media firms will throw on the streets thousands of journalists working in them'',lamented Mr Rao.

The journalists took a protest march on the arterial Trunk Road demanding immediate de-freezing of the bank accounts of the media firms and ensuring of justice for journalists affected by the CBI act.

“Let the Government initiate action against any individual in the firms without affecting the functioning of the media firms'', they said.

Condemned

The Prakasam district Retired Employees Association on Wednesday condemned the freezing of accounts of media firms of YSRC President Y S Jaganmohan Reddy by the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI).

The association members who met under chairmanship of its President K Alfred felt that ''freezing of accounts of media firms amounts to freezing of information''.

The interests of the journalists who educated the public should be protected said association member G Gopal Reddy.

From HINDU

Dokka asks Jagan to prove innocence in court

                                                                               

Rural Development Minister Dokka Manikyavaraprasad Rao on Wednesday asked YSRC chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy not to make a “hue and cry'' over freezing of the accounts of his firms including Sakshi daily and Sakshi television.

Instead, Mr Jaganmohan Reddy should fight his case in court taking a cue from former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao who had come out clean fighting corruption charges in courts, he said while addressing a party workers meeting here.

''Mr Reddy should realise that none is above law and that law will take its own course. It is not proper on his part to project the CBI action as murder of democracy and gagging of press freedom'', added Mr Rao, Minister incharge of Prakasam district. The onus was on Mr Reddy to explain the source of funds parked in the accounts of these companies, he added.

He wanted the party cadre to expose the ''corrupt YSRC'' and at the same time highlight development and welfare initiatives of the ruling Congress.

Ms Magunta Parvathamma, Congress nominee for the Ongole assembly seat promised to mobilise funds for all round development of Ongole with the proactive support of Mr Rao and 11 other Congress MLAs from the district.

from HINDU

Kiran accuses Jagan of forcing bypolls on people

                                                                          

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and several Ministers have heaped praise on activists for strengthening the party and accused YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy of forcing by-elections in the State to “satiate his greed for power.”

“He made the MLAs elected by you to resign,” they said.

Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy, addressed a meeting of booth volunteers and party workers of Payakaraopeta Assembly constituency held for the first time in the State here on Wednesday in the run-up to the June 12 by-election, and urged them to meet every voter three or four times before the election, spend some time with each one of them, even if he or she is a staunch supporter of other parties, and try to convince them to vote for the Congress.

Every government programme must be taken to the people and they should be assured that the Congress would be in power for the next two years with guaranteed development, he said. He promised the activists that their hard work would be rewarded. “All those who work sincerely during this election will be preferred for the party ticket for the ZPP elections, panchayat elections, and other elections to follow,” Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy said.

More than 2,000 booth volunteers and party workers attended the meeting. He said that a similar exercise would be taken up in all the other 17 Assembly segments where by-elections would be held since booth-level workers were crucial for the party.

The Chief Minister and APCC president Botcha Satyanarayana came down heavily on Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy for forcing the by-elections and G. Babu Rao, who was disqualified as MLA of Payakaraopeta.

“YSR's advice”

Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy said the former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had openly told a meeting of 156 MLAs and MPs who were elected from Andhra Pradesh in the 2009 elections that he had committed some mistakes in the past and had paid for it, and advised them not to work against the party.

Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy was also present at the meeting.

The late leader might have said so to tell his son not to leave the Congress in future. But Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy launched a party with the only motive to gain power, supported the Telugu Desam's no-confidence motion, and was moving close to TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao.

He said Rajya Sabha member K. Chiranjeevi wanted him to convey his wishes to the people.

If the Congress candidate secured a majority of 50,000, it would be the real merger of the Congress and the Praja Rajyam, he said.

Earlier, Minister for Ports Ganta Srinivasa Rao, who was elected on Praja Rajyam ticket, wanted the voters to ensure a big majority to make complete the PR-Congress merger.

The APCC chief said the party was working as per the wishes of its ground-level workers.

YSR Congress was without a direction or aim and all its programmes were of the Congress.

Tribal Welfare Minister P. Balaraju said Congress' win would ensure prosperity of Payakaraopeta.

Minister for Health K. Murali, Government Whip Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao, Bobbili MP Botcha Jhansi, MLC D.S.N. Raju, MLAs U.V. Ramana Murthy Raju, Bolem Mutyalapapa, and Ashok Babu and DCC president Thota Ganesh spoke.

from Hindu