VIJAYAWADA: Calling out the ‘double standards’ of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Botcha Satyanarayana has alleged that the former Chief Minister is trying to politicise the suicide of former Assembly Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao. He also found fault with Naidu for taking up the issue with the Governor.
“Naidu had once demanded that the Governor system be abolished. He called the previous Governor an agent of the Centre. But, now, he met the Governor to politicise the issue. We don’t have a problem with him complaining to the first citizen of the State, but he is just trying to give the issue a political colour,” he said in a press meet at the Secretariat on Thursday.
He also questioned Naidu as to why the latter wanted a CBI probe into the suicide. “He was the one who did not want CBI to enter the State and called it a puppet in the hands of the Centre. Even now the same party is in power at the Centre. Why these double standards?” he wondered.
The minister added that Kodela may have killed himself as the latter was ignored by TDP and Chandrababu Naidu during testing times. “The TDP chief accused the YSRC. But, has he even met Kodela in the last three months? Why would Kodela want to meet the BJP national chief? I feel that Naidu ignored Kodela and other party criticised him. He distanced himself from the former Speaker. Why didn’t Naidu come in support of Kodela when cases were registered against the latter?” he sought to know.
Botcha further said that allegations that the YSRC government foisted cases against Kodela were false. “The locals had complained against him. Only one case, related to the Assembly furniture, was filed, and that too by the Speaker’s office. The government had no role in any of these issues,” he claimed.He also said that mystery around the alleged missing of Kodela’s mobile phone should be unravelled at the earliest.