A day after Jagan Mohan Reddy was arrested, his party, the YSR Congress, has called for a three-day bandh in East Godavari district in protest. The arrest came after three days of interrogation at Hyderabad’s Dilkusha Guest House, where Mr Reddy was held overnight.
Jagan will be presented at the CBI court today morning after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected on May 25. The government fears violence and security is high all over Andhra Pradesh. There are prohibitory orders in place in Mr Reddy’s native district of Kadapa and in several other places in the state. Many YSR Congress leaders have reportedly been placed under virtual house arrest and are not being allowed out. Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma has said that the security situation is under control.
Jagan has to be present in court as he was named in the CBI chargesheet and his bail plea hearing comes up today as well. While his party will seek bail, the CBI is likely to seek Jagan’s custody.
In Vijayawada, YSR Congress workers staged dharnas and gave a call for bandh today. The police said that some of the YSR Congress leaders were picked up as a precautionary measure.
Last night, there was high drama outside the guest house where Jagan was questioned. His family, including his mother Vijayamma and sister Sharmila, sat on a dharna to protest his arrest. Hours later, Vijayamma was taken away by the police.
“YS Rajasekhara Reddy (Jagan’s father) won 33 Lok Sabha seats for Congress in 2009. Publicly YSR declared he would work to make Rahul Gandhi Prime Minister in 2014. So her (Sonia Gandhi) son should become PM and my son should suffer in jail,” questioned Mr Reddy’s mother. She is still on dharna.
“This is not democracy. The Congress has come against just one person, this is totally injustice. They have taken him in custody even when court did not give order for it. God is watching this, it’s nothing but injustice,” said Sharmila.
Soon after his arrest, Mr Reddy reportedly told party leaders who had come to meet him that his supporters must be calm and not resort to any violence keeping in view the by-elections to 18 seats. The YSR Congress is contesting all 18 seats.
“It is a Congress-TDP conspiracy to arrest Jagan. We will peacefully protest against his arrest. Jagan’s mother will lead the agitation,” Ambati Rambabu, YSR Congress spokesperson said after Mr Reddy’s arrest. Political commentators say Mr Reddy’s arrest and an emotive appeal from his mother might just turn into an electoral advantage for him in the by-elections.
Before the arrest, Jagan had said that it was a conspiracy by the Congress and TDP to create a law and order problem that could then be used to postpone the by-polls.
The CBI has been questioning Jagan on how their family’s wealth increased dramatically after his father YS Rajashekhar Reddy became chief minister in 2004. The CBI has alleged that Jagan and his father doled out favours to some companies and in return the companies invested in Jagan’s businesses. The CBI inquiry into Mr Reddy’s business empire and the source of its funds was ordered by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in August 2011.
PTI has quoted CBI officials as saying that Mr Reddy was questioned for three consecutive days and that his answers to certain investments made by a few companies to Sakshi Television and Jagriti publications, owned by him, were not convincing. “Some routing of funds have been detected from tax havens like Mauritius and Isle of Mann, indicating that there were quid pro quo investments in his TV channel and publication by some companies which were given land in the much sought after Andhra Pradesh Industrial Development Park,” the CBI officials were quoted as saying.
The YSR Congress chief has accused the ruling Congress and the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of wanting to “eliminate the third force” in Andhra Pradesh, and of wanting to postpone the June by-elections. While he was being interrogated over the last three days, hectic political activity was taking place behind-the-scenes. The YSR Congress party says several Congress and TDP MLAs have got in touch with it and are ready to jump ship.
On Saturday, Venkata Sujay Krishna, Congress MLA from Bobbili joined the YSR Congress. Ranga Rao has also said he has joined the YSR Congress party.
Mr Reddy is the son of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who died in a helicopter crash in 2009. After his father’s death he split with the Congress and formed his own party, the YSR Congress.
The corruption case against Mr Reddy could affect not just his political fortunes, but that of several other leaders from the party who quit the Congress in a huff. One of those leaders, a minister named M Venkatramana, was arrested after seven hours of interrogation on Wednesday. Mr Venkatramana has been remanded to judicial custody till June 7. Five other Congress ministers are also being studied for possible collusion.
Courtesy: NDTV