Vijayawada: N Chandrababu Naidu complains to Governor against APSDRI

Vijayawada : TDP supremo and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday complained to the Governor against the State government that the TDP leaders and their families were being targeted to financially weaken them and the Andhra Pradesh State Directorate for Revenue Intelligence (APSDRI) has deliberately been formed only for this purpose.

Naidu, in a letter addressed to the Governor, said that the APSDRI has been formed only to target the TDP leaders and the activists both financially and politically and the officials of the organisation too are acting at the behest of the ruling party leaders instead of performing their duties as per law.

Chilakala Rajeswara Reddy, a close associate of the YSRCP, has been appointed as its commissioner as a result of which the APSDRI has become a weapon in the hands of the ruling party leaders only to threaten the TDP activists and leaders, he mentioned in the letter.

The APSDRI has been going on a rampage imposing fines, making arrests besides undertaking sudden arrests and searches on the houses of the TDP leaders only to harass them, Naidu said.

Pointing out that TDP MLA Yeluri Sambasiva Rao was subjected to harassment very recently, Naidu said the APSDRI has then turned its eye towards senior TDP leader and former minister P Narayana in Nellore.

The latest in the series is the harassment of another senior TDP leader and former minister Prathipati Pulla Rao's son P Sarath, the TDP national president said. What is interesting is that Sarath is only an additional director of the firm only for 68 days, that too between December 9, 2019 and February 20, 2020, which is almost four years ago, he pointed out.

What is more important is that the Deputy Director of APSRDI Seetha Rama Reddy, in his complaint has clearly mentioned that an inquiry has been ordered by the Director General (GST), Intelligence and accordingly a notice has been served on him, ordering to make the payment of Rs 16 cr with fine, Naidu mentioned. What is shocking and surprising is that the APSRDI has taken over the case which is under the purview of the GST Director General, Hyderabad, he said.

Is it not targeting and harassing the TDP leaders, Naidu asked and said that the YSRCP is, in desperation, specifically targeting the TDP leaders as the party is well aware that it is getting defeated in the coming polls. In the letter to the Governor, Naidu asked why the APSRDI was established and with what objectives.

The TDP supremo sought a quick action by the Governor to save democracy in the State as such illegal tactics do not auger well for the future of Andhra Pradesh.