Hyderabad: All YSR Congress MLAs except the party chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy were suspended for day after they stalled the AP Assembly demanding a CBI probe into the alleged land scam in Amaravati.
The allegations, challenges and counter-challenges rocked the House through the day, with Mr Reddy daring the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to seek a CBI probe into the land scam.
Mr Naidu countered Mr Reddy’s charge by challenging him to back his allegations with proof. He said that if this was done, he would dismiss the guilty ministers from the Cabinet or else Mr Reddy would have to tender an apology. Agreeing with Mr Naidu’s defence, the Speaker said that if a CBI inquiry was ordered, the image of the new state would be damaged and eventually deter investors.
Earlier, the Assembly witnessed repeated disruptions from both ruling and Opposition members, after Mr Reddy raised the alleged Amaravati land scam issue. Mr Reddy alleged that ministers, TD MLAs and leaders managed to purchase huge chunks of land in the capital region on the basis of insider information. He accused the CM of violating the oath of secrecy and leaking the location of the capital area before announcing it officially.
Jagan’s ‘Insider trading’ barb leaves CM confused
While YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy used the term ‘insider trading’ several times during his speech accusing the AP CM of being the main culprit in the land scam, Mr Naidu, in his response, used the word “inside” instead of “insider”.
The CM said that the farmers pooled about 34,000 acres and another 20,000 acres of state-owned land is available to build the capital.
“A total of 54,000 acres of land is with the government and no one has purchased any land. I don’t understand the meaning of this ‘inside trading’. I ask the YSRC MLAs if they know the meaning,” Mr Naidu said.
