Vijayawada: In what could embarrass TD supremo and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his trusted aide and former civil aviation minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, top executives of Air Asia, the Malaysia-based international airline, had allegedly discussed that if they play nice with Mr Naidu they “can get everything”.
In the audiotape of an alleged 33-minute conversation, which is said to be in the possession of a Delhi-based media group, Air Asia Group India CEO Mittu Chandilya talks about his closeness to Mr Raju. Mr Chandilya tells the airline’s chief executive officer Tony Fernandes that Mr Naidu was potentially the prime minister candidate, but he was now Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
“His finance minister is now the civil aviation minister. If you play nice with Chandrababu Naidu, we will get everything. The civil aviation minister told me. They want to build Vizag into aviation centre. They are willing to give zero tax on ATF as long as we put a hub there. The minister told me that he doesn’t want to be seen physically with me that much, but you tell me what you want. This guy is like Modi. It’s good to have him on our side,” Mr Chandilya purportedly tells Mr Fernandes in the tape.
The alleged conversation took place when Mr Chandliya was giving a presentation to Mr Fernandes in the presence of lobbyist Rajender Dubey.
The CBI last Friday questioned Mr Dubey, director of the Singapore-based HNR Trading Pte Limited. It has summoned Mr Fernandes on June 6.
Mr Fernandes was booked by the CBI for bribing officials to amend the 5/20 rule that mandated domestic airlines to have five years of experience and 20 aircraft to fly international.
