Disclosure of Rs 10,000 crore under IDS leads to debate in Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada: The reported disclosure of Rs 10,000 crore by a person in Hyderabad under the Income Disclosure Scheme is creating tremors in AP politics, with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu indirectly, and his Cabinet colleagues directly, alleging that the disclosure was made by YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Mr Naidu, interacting with reporters at CMO in Velagapudi on Wednesday, said that the reported Rs 10,000 crore does not belong to an entrepreneur but to a political leader. He went on to say that the IDS bars the government from revealing the name of the person making the disclosure.

“It saddens me to see such political leaders in Indian politics. The non-disclosure clause means that the IDS has a loophole for all to continue with their illegal practices,” Mr Naidu said.

This is being seen as an indirect reference to Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy. However, Mr Naidu’s colleagues were not so diplomatic. Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao alleged that the money belonged to Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy and went on to say that it was illegally made during YSR’s rule.

“Now he has used the IDS to convert his black money to white,” Mr Rao said, adding that since many people have doubts on Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy’s income, it was up to him to clarify.

This allegation has been strongly condemned by YSRC leaders, who accuse the TD of using the reported IDS disclosure to divert attention from the alleged insult meted out to home minister N. China Rajappa by TD leader Nara Lokesh.

YSRC senior leader Ambati Rambabu hit back hard, saying: “This is clearly an attempt by the TD to cover Lokesh’s arrogant behaviour and insulting the home minister. It is shocking that IDS is being used as an Attention Diversion Scheme.”

Mr Rambabu added that the accusers should have had remembered to show at least a hint of proof before making their allegations.

“TD leaders are now so desperate that they are accusing Jagan of everything that goes wrong in the state, instead of owning some responsibility,” he added.