Naidu is a skilled criminal, says IT Minister

Visakhapatnam: YSRCP leaders on Saturday stated that the TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu's alleged involvement in the skill development scam is coming out of the closet.

Following the arrest of Naidu at Nandyal, the YSRCP leaders spoke to media. Sharing his views, Deputy Chief Minister B Mutyala Naidu criticised that Naidu channelised his intelligence for his own benefits and encouraged corrupt government.

“The TDP national president should stop alleging that the government that it is corrupt as it is now proven that Naidu ran a corrupt government,” the Deputy Chief Minister criticised.

IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath said TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu is a 'skilled criminal' and an 'unskilled politician.'

Speaking to media, he said the former Chief Minister claims that he stays away from corruption, but he was caught with all the evidence and would possibly spend the rest of his life in jail.

Misleading the government, Naidu had put pressure on the finance department officials and diverted Rs 371 crore of public money towards his shell companies, the minister pointed out.

Amarnath said there was prima facie evidence that Naidu had committed crimes like forgery, corruption and cheating and the police registered cases against Naidu in various sections. He explained that as soon as Naidu’s government came to power in 2014, Rs.371 crore was transferred to his shell companies. The minister informed that the officials of the Enforcement Directorate have already arrested the masterminds of the scam and then based on the details collected from them, Naidu was also arrested. The IT Minister stated that the TDP chief might spend a decade in jail due to his reported involvement in the cases.

Meanwhile, south constituency MLA Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar said Naidu should have been arrested two months back. "It is only due to the respect that the ruling party has on Naidu, the arrest has been delayed. Every individual is equal before the law and that's why the arrest was made," MLA said.

Not only Naidu, TDP national secretary Nara Lokesh and former minister and north constituency MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao should be taken to task, Vasupalli said.

Speaking on the occasion, Mayor G Hari Venkata Kumari mentioned that Naidu is the main accused in the skill development case and he has to be held responsible for it. The case will be proved and Naidu will be jailed, she added.