Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers and supporters held demonstrations in different parts of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP)-ruled Andhra Pradesh as part of the statewide bandh called by the TDP to protest the arrest of party supremo and ex-chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
An unprecedented crackdown by the state administration and police on the party leaders has prevented protests from getting out of hand, as leaders were taken into preventive custody.
Protesters across the state were taken to police stations.
Naidu was arrested by the state CID from Nandyal early on Saturday in connection with the multi-crore AP State Skill Development Corporation scam allegedly involving his government’s tenure during 2014-19.
According to the CID report, the Naidu government allocated INR 371 crore for setting up skill development clusters for unemployed youth across the state after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Siemens, but a significant portion of the fund was diverted to shell companies linked to some Siemens employees and the Skill Development Corporation employees.
The money was then withdrawn and Mr Naidu was the alleged ultimate beneficiary of this scam, the agency charged.
An Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court in Vijayawada sent Naidu to 14-day judicial custody on Sunday evening. He was shifted to Rajahmundry Central Jail, 200 km from Vijayawada, after the court order.
The TDP chief’s arrest has heated up Andhra politics months before the Assembly polls and Lok Sabha elections, with the TDP calling it ‘political vendetta’ unleashed by the state government led by YSRCP supremo and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
On Sunday night, the TDP gave a call for the Monday bandh, with state president K Atchannaidu calling upon party activists all over the state to oppose Naidu’s arrest.
‘This arrest is illegal and politically motivated. Those who support democracy should come out to protest and make the bandh successful,’ said Mr Atchannaidu
So far, all 21 TDP MLAs have been put under house arrest.
Observing bandh Monday, the TDP activists blocked roads but were later arrested by the police.
At several places, the supporters of the Jana Sena Party (JSP) also took to streets to hold protests. JSP chief K Pawan Kalyan has condemned Naidu’s arrest, calling it ‘politically motivated.’
CID Additional DG N Sanjay said their investigation implicated Naidu along with the TDP as alleged beneficiaries of the misappropriated funds.
The CID’s remand report Sunday said that to ascertain where the misappropriated money is parked, it was necessary to question Naidu, seeking his custody for 15 days.
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