Several Ministers and YSRCP leaders defended the arrest of former Minister and senior TDP MLA K. Atchannaidu by the ACB on Friday.
Home Minister M. Sucharitha said Mr. Atchannaidu was taken into custody as per the procedure after due inquiry into the ESI scandal.
“Everyone is equal before law, and the law has taken its course. Fake bills of ₹100 crore were produced for medicines not purchased. The price of medical equipment was inflated. All contracts were given to the close associates of the TDP on nomination basis without following guidelines,” the Minister said.
‘Tip of the iceberg’
BC Welfare Minister Sankara Narayana said TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu was playing the BC card. “It is dreadful to see Mr. Naidu instigating the BCs with his caste politics. Everyone is equal before law. The TDP leader has been arrested on charges of irregularities in the ESI, which directly affects thousands of BCs,” he added.
“Soon, the role of Mr. Naidu and his son Lokesh will come into the open. The ESI scam is just a tip of the iceberg,” he said.
‘Cheap politics’
Irrigation Minister P. Anil Kumar said it was evident that corruption had taken place in the purchase of medicines. “Mr. Naidu’s cheap politics is appalling. Mr. Naidu had sent letters to the Centre opposing the appointment of BCs as High Court judges and used BCs for his political mileage. It is unbecoming on his part to ask people to come on to the roads to protest against the arrest,” he said.
MLC and YSRCP BC Cell president Janga Krishna Murthy said Mr. Naidu was in the habit of using the BCs for his political mileage and ignoring their welfare.
On the contrary, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy termed the BCs as the “Backbone Classes” of society. “The TDP calling the arrest as an attack on the BCs speaks of its political opportunism,” he added.
“It is evident that Mr. Atchannaidu had flouted norms in the purchase of medicines and medical equipment. He was accused of involvement in the ₹404.86-crore ESI scam by the Vigilance and Enforcement Department in February, and preliminary investigation revealed misuse of ₹150 crore,” he said.
Ministers K. Kannababu and D. Krishna Das, and MLA R.K. Roja slammed the TDP for arguing that the arrest was an attack on the BCs.
