Pakistan like situation prevailing in Andhra Pradesh: Ashok Gajapathi Raju
The Hindu
Former Union Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju urges Centre to intervene in AP affairs due to YSRCP govt's failure to follow Constitution. He claims arrest of N. Chandrababu Naidu is political vendetta & violation of freedom of speech. He requests Centre to take action on IAS & IPS officers & YSRCP govt for not developing State.
Former Union Minister and Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP) Political Bureau member P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju asked the Central government to intervene in Andhra Pradesh affairs as the YSRCP government failed to discharge its administrative duties in accordance with the Constitution.
He said that the arrest of former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in the ‘so-called’ skill development scam was a classic example of ‘political vendetta’ and his detention in jail resembled the situation in Pakistan where arrests were common for opposition leaders.
In an exclusive interview to The Hindu, he said that the State government was suppressing the voice of TDP leaders, and defying Article-19 of the Constitution which guaranteed freedom of speech, peaceful gatherings and protests. “Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government is violating all rules and regulations laid in the Constitution. The Union government has powers under Article-356 to take necessary action on the State government if the latter failed to follow provisions of the Constitution,” he said.
“It is not fair for the YSRCP government to point out each and every decision taken by the previous TDP government. It is a bad precedent. Such a situation prevails in Pakistan where the new government always arrests the leaders who stepped down from the seat of power. Unfortunately such a situation exists in AP with the arrest of Mr. Naidu whose involvement was not proved at all in the skill development case. We request the Union government to use its powers to control the AP government which is brutally suppressing the voice of the people when they come out to extend their solidarity to Mr. Naidu,” Mr. Raju added.
He has also urged that the Union government to take action on IAS and IPS officers who connived with YSRCP government in violating rules and regulations while discharging their duties. “Their mistakes should be noted down in service records. It would act like a deterrent and make other officials to abide by rules,” he added.
He has also charged that the State government had failed to develop the State in the last four years. “With a great vision, Mr. Naidu acquired around 29,000 acres of land from people of Amaravati under land pooling system. Mr. Jagan has also failed to ensure construction of the international airport at Bhogapuram although land was acquired during the TDP regime itself. The same is the case with Central Tribal University for which Y.S. Jagan government again laid foundation near Saluru constituency instead of constructing the University in Kothavalasa where land was acquired in 2017 itself,” he said.
Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten stated that “not so great decision making” contributed to his side’s defeat to India in the Group-A T20 World Cup clash here on Sunday. The batting unit came apart in the chase, after being well placed at 72 for two. With 48 runs needed from eight overs, Pakistan found a way to panic and lose. “Maybe not so great decision making,” Kirsten said at the post-match press conference, when asked to explain the loss.
“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.