Title: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Condemns Arrest of Chandrababu Naidu in Corruption Case
Date: [Insert Date]
Kolkata- West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has strongly condemned the arrest of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Chandrababu Naidu. Speaking to reporters on [insert date], Banerjee expressed her disagreement with the arrest, stating that if Naidu had committed any wrongdoing, an investigation should have been conducted instead of arresting him. She emphasized that revenge should not be sought against anyone.
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu was detained in a corruption case, as per the orders of an anti-corruption court in Vijayawada. He has been remanded in judicial custody until the 23rd and is currently being held in Rajahmundry Central Jail, about 200 km away from Vijayawada.
Following Naidu’s arrest, the TDP has called for a state-wide bandh (shutdown) today, which has received support from Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena party. The bandh has significantly affected normal life in Andhra Pradesh, with the closure of schools, colleges, and shops, and disruptions to public transport. Telugu Desam Party members attempting protests have been arrested, while TDP MLAs, MPs, and former ministers have been placed under house arrest as a precautionary measure. To maintain law and order, the police have issued 144 prohibitory orders and deployed officers across major parts of the state.
The TDP has accused the ruling YSR Congress party of seeking revenge against Chandrababu Naidu ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh. Allegedly, Naidu’s exposure of various failures of the Andhra Pradesh government in recent months has provoked this alleged retaliation.
In response, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, adviser to the Andhra Pradesh government, dismissed the TDP’s claims, asserting that the party was staging a drama under Naidu’s instigation. Reddy emphasized that investigations have revealed Naidu’s involvement in the alleged crime and accused the TDP of attempting to shield him by accusing Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy of seeking revenge.
Chandrababu Naidu has been assigned prisoner number 7691 and is being held in Rajamahendravarmam Central Jail. He has been granted permission to receive home food, pills, and medicines, and is allotted a room with basic facilities. Naidu’s lawyers are expected to file a bail petition today, while the Central Investigation Team will seek permission to interrogate him for 15 days.
The case against Naidu stems from a decision during his tenure as Chief Minister (2014-19) to provide skill development training to students through Siemens in a collaboration with the Skill Development Corporation. The Andhra Pradesh government reportedly contributed 10% of the Rs. 33,000 crore funds required for this initiative. The current Jagan Mohan Reddy government claims a scam worth Rs. 118 crore took place, implicating Chandrababu Naidu. The Central Investigation Team initiated a case in 2021, leading to his recent arrest.
The arrest of Chandrababu Naidu has sparked political uproar in Andhra Pradesh, with both sides passionately defending their positions. The coming days will determine the course of action and the legal proceedings surrounding this high-profile corruption case.