VIJAYAWADA: Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath condemned the comments of TDP leaders, including former minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, on Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s night halt in London on way to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual summit. “The TDP leaders who seem to be ignorant of international air traffic regulations, are making it an issue,” he remarked.
In a press release issued from Prague, Czech Republic, the Finance Minister, who is on an official visit, said the Opposition has made criticising Jagan and his family their only goal and is least bothered about veracity of claims.He said Yanamala was commenting in such a crass manner and wondered how could people, who were ministers in the previous Telugu Desam government, are so ignorant of international air travel and rules and regulations. He also found fault with a section of the media for its faulty reporting on the matter.
Bugganna said the Chief Minister’s visit to Davos with his family is not a secret. “After leaving from Gannavaram airport in Vijayawada, the flight made a stop in Istanbul, Turkey, for refuelling. There was a delay due to heavy air traffic in arriving at London. In London also, there was heavy air traffic and as flights are not allowed to land in Zurich after 10 pm, the Chief Minister was forced make a night halt in London. On Saturday morning, the Chief Minister was ready to leave London. But pilots need to complete their mandatory period of rest as per the DGCA rules,” the minister explained.
TDP senior leader Yanamala objected to ‘indiscriminate misuse’ of public funds for Jagan’s personal tours. The CBI court had given permission only for Jagan’s visit to Davos, but not to his special flight which took him to London. The State government should clarify whether the Chief Minister had got permission to go to London or not, Yanamala demanded.