Question KVP also in Jagans case: VHR

                                                                                      
HYDERABAD: Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member V.Hanumantha Rao demanded the CBI to interrogate KVP Ramachandra Rao, who was advisor to the then chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, in Jagan’s illegal assets case.

Speaking to newsmen on Saturday, Hanumantha Rao felt that CBI may get more information in the case if they quiz KVP Ramachandra Rao, who was regarded as YSR’s soul.

Rao expressed happiness at the change of attitude in chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy towards YSR Congress president Jagan.� Had the chief minister adopted the same approach from the beginning, Jagan would have been nowhere now in the political scenario, the Rajya Sabha member felt.

Rao reiterated that he would stage a day-long ‘Mouna Vratham’ in Tirupati on May 31 in protest against Jagan’s improper behaviour in Tirumala.
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Jagan’s popularity is eroding fast: Chiru

                                                                               
Actor-turned-politician K. Chiranjeevi, whose Praja Rajyam merged with the Congress a few weeks ago, seems to be the only charismatic crowd-puller for the Congress in the state. He has been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring victory in at least some of the constituencies in the forthcoming bypolls. The Congress is expected to win the Tirupati constituency, a seat he vacated. Juggling time between campaigning for the elections and preparations for the wedding of his actor son Ram Charan Teja, Mr Chiranjeevi spoke to this newspaper.
Excerpts from the Interview:
How are you coping within the Congress, a party that opposed you and your Praja Rajyam until recently?
A. There are no permanent enemies or friends in politics. I believe that politicians are opponents not enemies. I am like a river whose ultimate goal is to join the sea. My philosophy is to bypass the obstacles and achieve the ultimate goal. My goal was to achieve social justice, I trust the Congress will do that. I could have bargained for so many things from the Congress with my 18 MLAs, but I did not. In fact, both Rosaiah and Kiran Kumar Reddy governments were saved from collapse thanks to me. That is my satisfaction.
How can you enjoy the company of the same Congress leaders whom you targeted during the last four years?
A. I only questioned and criticised the scams and corrupt deals of the Congress government but have never attacked anyone individually. Now Sonia Gandhi refuses to tolerate corrupt people anymore. She has started a major cleansing of the party. During the last one-and-a-half years, I have not come across a single corrupt deal or scam. Is it not good for society?
PR cadres and leaders, who joined the Congress, regret not striking a better deal with the Congress...
A. My meeting with Sonia Gandhi was not a closed-door meeting. Four leaders were present and it was the late YSR who moved the proposal for merger. Soniaji requested me for a merger. I agreed only after consulting my leaders. It was during Rosaiah’s regime, when Jagan Mohan Reddy was openly promoting dissidence and desertions in the Congress MLAs that I offered my help to prevent the government from collapse. The second time, with my strength of MLAs, I saved the Kiran Kumar government from falling. There is no regret for me or my leaders. But there is dissatisfaction regarding the nominated posts that have not been filled for the last four years. I hope it will be done at the earliest.
There is a feeling amongst Congress leaders that despite the merger, the PRP vote bank has not transferred entirely to the Congress...
A. The voters are all my fans. They will not desert me for other parties. They will remain with me. Transfer of vote bank will be known only in the next general elections.
When you floated the PR, you asked why a third alternative like your party should not be allowed to flourish in politics? Jagan Mohan Reddy is asking the same now. Your response?
A. Anyone can say anything but people will go by the track record of the person. I have a clean image and am a fresher in politics. Jagan Mohan Reddy comes with a baggage of scams and controversies. A person with a criminal and corrupt image cannot tell people that he is the alternative. Credibility is the most important factor.
Do you agree that the Congress is facing a tough challenge from Jagan Mohan Reddy in the bypolls?
A. People are intelligent, they think before voting. Jagan Mohan Reddy is trying to promote himself as a saviour of the state but his popularity which was said to be 55-60 percent has started eroding and is down to 35 per cent according to a recent survey. It will be zero by the time of the next general elections. How many more sins of Jagan Mohan Reddy will come to light within the next one month is also an important factor.
Q No party has come to power for a third consecutive time in the South so far. Please comment.
A. Why can't history be created? How can anyone predict that the Congress will not form the government next time? In Delhi, Gujarat and Assam such things have happened, perhaps, it will happen in AP this time.
Q Is it true that you have promised to ensure success in only 5 to 6 constituencies in the forthcoming bypolls?
A. I am not a fool to say that. I have been misquoted in the press. I will do my best to ensure that the Congress will win in majority of the segments. Rest is in God’s hands. I am unable to adjust time between my son’s wedding preparations and the hectic campaign schedule ahead of me. But I will tour and campaign in as many segments as possible.
Q Do you expect any changes after the bypolls?
A. There will be no change in state leadership and there is no necessity for a change.
Q What is your contribution to the Congress so far?
A. I have never taken credit so far. Since you have asked I will tell you. I raised the issue of hike in power charges and asked the CM to reduce the burden on the poor and middle class. It was done immediately. I also take credit for reducing VAT on textiles. I raised the issue of SC and ST sub-plan funds diverted to other schemes with Soniaji. She ordered for immediate steps to correct it. It is being implemented. Protection of rights of tenant farmers was also thanks to me.
Distribution of booklets listing Congress schemes and programmes of government is also my idea.
from DC

Jagan seeks vote for ‘clean politics'

                                                                           

YSRCP President Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, MP, on Saturday sought people's support in the June 12 by-elections for the MLAs who had “sacrificed their posts for the sake of farmers and the poor and stood for clean politics.”

He expressed dissatisfaction over the ‘improper' implementation of welfare schemes launched during the erstwhile YSR regime.

“Knowing fully well that they would be disqualified they had voted in support of the motion of no confidence in the Kiran Kumar Reddy Government. I salute the 17 MLAs who stood for values in politics and sacrificed their posts,” he said while addressing a series of meetings in support of former Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, the party candidate for the Ongole Assembly seat. “Their sacrifice has come at a time when most of the MLAs and MPs refuse to step down during the middle of their terms and more so for the cause of the poor and peasants,” he said.

He said farmers were in dire straits and many of them were forced to commit suicide with no remunerative price for their produce, forcing them to go for crop holiday in more than one lakh acres of land. Farmers were not even in a position to pay labourers.

The farm labourers were not better off as were students and their parents. While labourers got only Rs. 60 to Rs. 70 as daily wage in view of change in work measurement norms under the MGNREGS, the students faced uncertainty over fee reimbursement, he lamented.

‘CBI should probe role of the six Ministers in Jagan's assets case'

                                                                         

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is looking into the disproportionate assets case against Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, should go after the Ministers in the Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Cabinet for their alleged involvement in the irregularities committed during the YSR regime, according to CPI State secretary K. Narayana.

Talking to reporters here on Saturday, after addressing the party's ‘shaka' secretaries and mandal councils' members, he faulted the CBI action against officials in the case.

The CPI leader sought to justify his stand, stating that officials would not have acted without the nod of the Ministers concerned.

He wanted the six members of the YSR Cabinet who had received the Supreme Court notices to be removed from their posts. Then alone the ruling partymen would be convincing in criticising the YSR Congress Party president Jaganmohan Reddy for his alleged misdeeds. Mr. Narayana pointed that the ‘corrupt' Government could not effectively rebut the criticism by YSRCP chief as long as the six Ministers remained in office. He said the party was opposed to the Cabinet committee deciding the State excise policy; it was in favour of holding an all-party meeting for taking a decision.

The party favoured the Government itself running the liquor shops. The CPI leader warned of launching an agitation against the Government's liquor policy.

As part of the agitation, CPI activists would lay siege to the Excise department offices across the State on May 25.

Liquor mafia

He hit out at the Government, alleging that it was acting like ‘liquor mafia' and that it has no right to administer. Mr. Narayana said he would lead the party's ‘Telangana praja andolana jata' from June 5 to 15.

 From Hindu

Jagan, Naidu, and Kiran had their share in corruption: Raghavulu

                                                                      

“The CPI(M) is the only party that espouses the cause of the downtrodden and the underprivileged sections of society,” said its State secretary B.V. Raghavulu.

Addressing a public meeting at Nakkapalli RTC complex, he lashed out at the Congress, the Telugu Desam, and the YSR Congress parties for telling people that voting for the CPI(M) was “wasting” their vote. On the contrary, voting for those parties was nothing but giving them the “licence to loot” the public.

Mr. Raghavulu alleged that these parties turned politics into “best business” to amass wealth through various means such as forming liquor syndicates, sand mafia, and grabbing land belonging to farmers and fishermen and handing them over to corporate companies on a platter and minting money in the process. He said all the three parties were involved in liquor syndicates.

He expressed the view that YSRCP president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu, and Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy had their share in corruption.

Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who was the Chief Whip during the tenure of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, failed to open his mouth against the corrupt deeds of YSR. Ministers Botcha Satyanarayana and Sabita Indra Reddy would also have to share the blame as they were Ministers in the YSR Cabinet.

He asked the voters as to what the present TDP and the YSRCP nominees, who had represented Payakaraopeta in the past, had done for them. Referring to the seizure of cash bundles from cars, he wondered what kind of victory it was.

He asked the voters: “If you sell your vote for Rs.1,000 or so, can you build a house or get employment for your children? At the most, you can buy a few bottles of liquor. Candidates who win by spending Rs.1,000 on each person will amass thousands of crores of rupees through various deals and deprive them of their livelihood.”

Nomination filed

CPI(M) district committee secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao recalled how the party had stalled the PCPIR while the other three parties were supporting it for their vested interests. Lok Satta district secretary Suresh Babu spoke.

Hundreds of party activists and workers marched to the Nakkapalli tehsildar office, about one km away, as party nominee for the Payakaraopeta Assembly by-poll Kothapalli Lokanadham, accompanied by the party leaders, went in a procession and filed his nomination after the public meeting.

from hindu

Companies owned by Jagan file caveat

                                                                

The group companies of Sakshi owned by Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Saturday filed caveat in a civil court as well as the principal court for CBI cases here to prevent the investigating agency from securing unilateral orders from court to attach their properties.

The objective was to ensure that the court served notices on the companies and heard their views before passing orders, their legal counsel G. Ashok Reddy said.

The State government on Friday issued an order giving permission to the CBI to attach the properties of Jagati Publications, Indira Television and Janani Infrastructure. By two other orders, the CBI was allowed to attach the properties of a former aide of Mr. Jagan, N. Sunil Reddy, and Trimex group chairman Koneru Prasad. Both of them were involved in Emaar township scam.

Meanwhile, ex-mines director V.D. Rajagopal today filed a bail petition, his third, in principal CBI court stating that he was roped in the Obulapuram Mining Company scam with the sole objective of harassing him. He said he was targeted though he had no power to grant lease for major minerals like iron ore.

from Hindu

YSR too attached Satyam assets'

                                                                                   

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy justified the government's action in giving consent to the CBI's move to attach the properties of companies owned by Kadapa MP Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

He said the government's action was no different from the orders issued in the Satyam case when Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was Chief Minister. TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu had taken action on the same lines against Krushi Bank, he said while addressing a meeting of Congress workers at Nagulapadu in Prathipadu Assembly constituency on Saturday.

The Chief Minister said Mr. Jagan was facing inquiries by the CBI because he made his father sign controversial G.O.s by ‘influencing' him to get things done and is now paying the price for his follies. Instead of revealing the sources of investments made in his firms, Mr. Jagan was spreading falsehoods through his newspaper and TV channel, Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy remarked in response to a cartoon published in Sakshi newspaper which depicted him to be under a table signing the G.O pertaining to attachment of his companies' assets. He sought to know under which table YSR was when he signed the G.O. relating to Satyam.

Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy said he did not have the habit of signing files from under tables. Mr. Jagan was misleading people by publishing stories which twisted facts. YSR, he remarked, would never utter lies but his son was following in the footsteps of Mr. Naidu who never spoke the truth.

The Chief Minister said by-election was necessitated by the disqualification of M. Sucharita as MLA after she cast her vote in favour of the no-confidence motion moved in the Assembly by TDP, in open defiance of her party's whip. Her action was violative of the Constitution and she was rightly ousted from the party, but she described it as a sacrifice in the interest of farmers and the poor.

PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana said the MLAs loyal to Mr. Jagan had made a mockery of democracy by tendering resignations with selfish motives. The Kadapa MP had become a millionaire overnight when his father was Chief Minister.

He referred to Mr. Jagan's statement questioning why action was not taken against a Congress MP who invested in his companies while some high-profile persons who parked their funds in his firms were put behind bars. The PCC chief said the government would not hesitate to take the MP to task if Mr. Jagan revealed all the facts.

from Hindu