TIRUPATI: Andhra Pradesh mining minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy slammed former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and the Telugu Desam party for resorting to false propaganda over the state government's sand mining policies.
Speaking to reporters in Tirupati on Sunday, Peddireddy alleged that it was the former Chief minister who looted away sand during his five year tenure and diverted the revenues meant to go to the state coffers to his close aides.
"Naidu and his coterie amassed Rs.4000 crore by resorting to illegal sand mining acts during their regime. But after the YSR Congress party came to power in the state, we have been supplying sand free of cost in an utmost transparent manner. But still the opposition is trying to allege irregularities in the state's sand mining policies which is very unfortunate", Peddireddy lamented.
The state minister claimed that the sand mining rights in the state was given away to the Jaypee group in an utmost transparent manner by following all due procedures and added that as per a clause present in the agreement, the Jaypee group has all rights to give away a sub-contract to any legitimate party.
"But the Telugu Desam and a section of the media which supports it has a problem if a sub contract is given and even if a sub contract is withdrawn away which clearly establishes their double standards", Peddireddy slammed the TDP.
The state mining minister also warned the TDP leaders to refrain from dragging the family members of the ruling party into unwarranted controversies and said it was truly unfortunate that the TDP leaders dragged Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's wife YS Bharati Reddy into the Delhi liquor scam case even though she has no role in it in anyway.
"As the Delhi liquor scam probe has intensified, it has emerged that the close aides of TPCC chief Revanth Reddy were also involved in the scam and Revanth Reddy was an accused in the Vote for note scam involving Chandrababu Naidu. Doesn't that make it clear that Naidu is someway linked to all this", Peddireddy questioned.
The state minister warned Naidu and the Telugu Desam party leaders that the YSR Congress party activists and leaders will be left with no choice but to retaliate if they did not refrain from dragging the family members of the ruling party into unnecessary controversies.