Atchannaidu seeks apology from YSRCP leaders in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: TDP Deputy Floor Leader K Atchannaidu advised the YSRCP leaders not to hurt the sentiments of Hindus by making false charges on jewellery of Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala.

Addressing media at the party office on Saturday, he said the TDP had never resorted to political vendetta against the YSRCP in the past. However, the YSRCP leaders resorted to mudslinging by saying that N Chandrababu Naidu had stolen valuable jewellery items including a precious pink diamond offered to the Lord and levelling other baseless charges.

The Vigilance enquiry also revealed that there was no such diamond but Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and MP V Vijaya Sai Reddy and others were making baseless allegations that the same would be available in Chandrababu Naidu's residence if searches were conducted.

Atchannaidu mentioned that making such baseless allegations, they were now answerable to the public. Since the YSRCP is now behaving in a high-handed manner against the TDP cadre and targeting its leaders by personally attacking them, the TDP would be ready to sacrifice anything to safeguard the state's interest, he clarified.

Further, he demanded an explanation and apology from the YSRCP leaders for making such baseless allegations and said they should be made answerable in the court of law for indulging in such mudslinging. He also recalled that the party resorted malicious campaign that TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh had taken crores of rupees from Shekar Reddy to make him a board member.

Now, the same Shekar Reddy was on the TTD Board for which the YSRCP should give an explanation. The 37-member of TTD Board resembles a jumbo cabinet with many of them having a criminal background, he alleged.

The TDP leader also found fault with the composition of the TTD Trust Board saying that the weaker sections and backward classes had no place on the board. By promising 50 per cent of reservation in the Cabinet, Jagan Mohan Reddy claimed to have given a bigger share for the BCs whereas in the temple board, the same ratio was not followed, he alleged.