VIJAYAWADA: Referring to the show-cause notice issued by the Income Tax Department to TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu over undisclosed income to the tune of Rs 118 crore, Information Technology and Industries Minister Gudivada Amarnath on Monday demanded a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the matter.
Terming Naidu a ‘skilled criminal’, the minister alleged that the TDP leader was involved in large-scale money laundering through the AP State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) as well as development of Amaravati's capital city.
Launching a scathing attack on Naidu at a press conference in Visakhapatnam, Amarnath said the TDP chief is evading a direct reply to the notices issued to him by the I-T department.“As a person who preaches morals and values, Naidu should come out clean on the issue,” he said and sought to know the value of the TDP chief’s assets before and after he joined politics.
Alleging that Naidu’s political life is riddled with corruption and conspiracies, the minister said, “He resorted to political corruption and earned thousands of crores of rupees. No politician in the country might have been involved in as many scams as Naidu. Right from Yeleru scam to Amaravati, Naidu’s name was found in major scams.”
Accusing the TDP chief of usurping Rs 350 crore in the alleged APSSDC scam and indulging in corrupt practices to the tune of thousands of crores of corruption under the pretext of developing Amaravati capital, Amarnath said, “Scams perpetrated by Naidu are being exposed one after another. Naidu is answerable to the people. We demand the ED to probe into the case as money has been laundered from Dubai and other countries.”
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Meanwhile, Rajamahendravaram MP Margani Bharat said the issue of Naidu taking Rs 118 crore as kickbacks is a small one. “He is involved in many more scams and irregularities which will be exposed soon,” he claimed. Pointing out that Naidu has served as the chief minister for 14 years, the MP said the TDP chief has a moral responsibility to respond to the notice. “He should tell the people whether the contents of the I-T notice are true or false,” the MP demanded.