TDP claims Naidu arrest as YSRCP veneagance

Amaravathi, Sept 8: Taking into custody the former chief, Mr Chandrababu Naidu, on Saturday clearly exposed the vindictive attitude of the YSRCP Government, said Mr Kutumb Rao, the TDP official spokesman, here.

In a video message, Mr Kutumba Rao said that Mr Chandrababu is taken into custody purely on false charges. The AP Skill Development Corporation case is nothing but a foisted one, he added. Recalling what exactly has happened, he said that the AP State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) has tied up with DesignTech, who implemented the project in collaboration with Siemens India, a German-based multinational company on skill development for students.

In this programme, the then Andhra Pradesh government was supposed to give 10 percent of the total cost of the project and the remaining amount to be borne by the Siemens, he said. Stating that the programme was implemented and the money was released in tranches and everything went on well at that time, Mr Kutumba Rao recalled.

Almost 2.5 lakh students have been trained and the present Jagan Mohan Reddy Government has given a commendation certificate to DesignTech in 2020 and 2021. However, the DesignTech had committed some bluners from its side as it has formed some shell companies in Pune and Mumbai and the GST has found some blunders in that company and the case is under investigation in Pune, he said.

Making it clear that Mr Chandrababu Naidu as the chief minister has no connection with the case, Mr Kutumba Rao also mentioned that a minister was there in the Cabinet for Human Resources and there was a separate corporation managing it headed by senior IAS officers, who rigidly followed the AP Business Rules.

This wrong case is foisted against Mr Chandrababu and is politically motivated, he said and felt that this is only to discredit the TDP supremo. He is of the opinion that this case will not stand before the court of law and will only make the YSRCP Government defamed for its vindictive attitude.

This case is a sham and it all involves around GST evasion by the DesignTech in Pune and no way concerned with the Andhra Pradesh government or its officials, Mr Kutumba Rao clarified. Just because the State government has released funds it does not mean whether the company concerned has paid the GST or not, he added.

It is the GST wing that has to take up the case of evasion of tax,Mr Kutumba Rao said, adding that the enforcement and regulatory authority of the GST will look into it. This false case is foisted only to discredit the TDP and Mr Chandrababu, he added.

The highhandedness of the police and misuse of law should be condemned by every responsible citizen, Mr Kutumba Rao said.