Former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has strongly condemned the ‘hawala cash’ transactions being allegedly carried out by YSRCP Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy. He asked how so much money could be pooled in these troublesome times of Coronavirus threat. Clarity should be given on the persons for whom the money was being taken illegally and their relation with the Minister. It may be recalled Rs. 5.27 Cr was seized by Tamil Nadu police from a car that was bearing Balineni’s sticker recently.
The TDP chief demanded the dismissal of Balineni and also that the Enforcement Directorate should hold a detailed enquiry to bring out the dark facts behind the hawala transactions taking place in AP in the past 14 months. Merchants would usually carry cheques or DDs but not hard cash to buy gold in Chennai. It should be verified whether the arrested persons were staff of the gold merchant or the Minister’s own followers. Reports say Balineni’s son was one of the two persons who escaped from the scene after cash was seized. The Chief Minister owes a clarification to the people on all these aspects.
Mr. Naidu accused the ruling party and the AP Police of applying different rules of justice for the YSRCP leaders and those of the Opposition. The TDP leaders were implicated, arrested and harassed inhumanly while the YSRCP leaders were facing no action despite being caught with clear evidence. Atchannaidu and Kollu Ravindra were arrested based on false cases but Minister Balineni was not yet arrested in the Rs. 5.27 Cr hawala cash scam. No action was taken to arrest Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy for masterminding the attack on Dalit judge. The persons, who tampered with evidence in YS Viveka murder case were not yet arrested. Those, who unlawfully gave bandages to dead body, were allowed to go scot-free. Viveka’s daughter and wife had to fight for justice in the murder case eventually.
Stating that Coronavirus cases were rising alarmingly, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu expressed concern over the highest fatality rate in AP while the recovery rate was the lowest. The virus patients were not being admitted in hospitals, no proper food was being supplied to in-patients and oxygen supply was nil. The maintenance of ambulances was the worst and scores of suspected patients were being bundled into the 108 vehicles. There is no clarity on the menu approved for patients at quarantine centres.
The AP Opposition Leader advised the YSRCP leaders to compare the quality of food served at quarantine centres to that served at the Anna Canteens just at Rs. 5 during the TDP regime. The quarantine patients were paying Rs. 500 per day but they were being served stale idli, half-cooked rice, over-burnt chapatis, watery sambar and bad smelling vegetables. Just Rs. 50 to Rs. 100 was being given to patients on discharge as against the promised Rs. 2,000 cash. It is not known what the government was doing with the huge funds released by the Centre. The YCP leaders were indulging in mindless corruption even in the Coronavirus difficult time.
The TDP chief demanded the Chief Minister to break his silence on the non-stop atrocities and attacks on the Dalits. In just one day yesterday, atrocities were committed on women at three places in Andhra Pradesh. A girl was gangraped in Srikalahasti. A woman volunteer along with five other women was attacked with stones for complaining against the making of country arrack at Gudipudi in AS Peta mandal in Nellore district. AP Mala Mahanadu President took pesticide at a media conference in Vijayawada to commit suicide because of injustice. Attacks were on the rise in the past one year. Dr. Sudhakar and Dr Anita Rani were humiliated and attacked. Ex MP Harsha Kumar was implicated in false cases.
