Visakhapatnam: Despiteflying to Singapore 58 times, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is never keen on bringing investments to Andhra Pradesh as it has been ‘projected’, pointed out former IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath. The repeated trips of both father and son were meant to stash away the ill-gotten wealth with Naidu’s friend in Singapore who was jailed on charges of corruption, remarked the former IT Minister at a media briefing held in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.

Both Naidu and Nara Lokesh were unable to explain the objective of their Singapore trip but were quick in resorting to mudslinging on Opposition leaders, charging baseless allegations against them, he said. Amarnath said that the father and son have been charging YSRCP for trying to stall the progress of the state by sending mails to halt investments. “In fact, it was the TDP functionary who had sent mails exposing the true intentions of Naidu and Lokesh,” he mentioned.

The Amaravati contract revealed Chandrababu Naidu’s deceitful mindset of giving Singapore firms a lion’s share for a minimal investment and this is not the first time Naidu is resorting to such tactics, he criticised. Recalling how the state achieved GSDP growth in 201-2024, outpacing the national average, Amarnath reiterated that the ports and Adani Data Centre which Naidu has been harping about came up because of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as he took maximum efforts to revive blue economy during his tenure as Chief Minister. “Jagan was keen on making optimum utilisation of the long coastline of the state,” Amarnath emphasised.

He stated that there is no truth in Naidu’s repeated claims that the brand image of the state was damaged due to the previous government. “Lands in Visakhapatnam are given at throwaway prices to ‘shady’ companies,” Amarnath criticised, challenging Naidu for a public debate to clear the air on land allotments.

In the meantime, responding to Amarnath’s comment on land allotment, Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) chairperson MV Pranav Gopal stated that he is ready to debate over the alleged land deals on August 9 at Rushikonda with the former IT Minister. “Gudivada Amarnath is less than a Sarpanch and more than a ward member. Such leaders will never be able to understand land allotments in its true sense. It was unfortunate that Jagan Mohan Reddy made a person IT minister who could hardly differentiate between a fast food centre and an industry,” Pranav Gopal mentioned, adding that he would resign from his post if Amarnath proves that land allotment deal with URSA was made at a throwaway price as alleged.