“Chandrababu Naidu was directly involved in this scam…,” YSRCP General Secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], September 9 (ANI): After former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was arrested in an alleged skill development scam case, Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) General Secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said that Chandrababu Naidu was directly involved in this scam and this was already proved by central agencies years back.

“This morning N Chandrababu Naidu was arrested by the economic offence wing of Andhra Pradesh CID in the Skill Development cooperation scam in which Rs 371 crore of public money was siphoned off…This was already proved by central agencies years back…During the investigation, they found that then-CM N Chandrababu Naidu was directly involved in this scam,” YSRCP General Secretary said on Saturday.

He further said, “This case revolves around the establishment of clusters of Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in the state of Andhra Pradesh, with a total estimated project value of Rs 3,300 crores.”

The TDP chief was taken into custody by the Andhra Pradesh Criminal Investigation Department (CID), in connection with the alleged skill development scam case. A First Information Report (FIR) in the case was lodged in 2021.

As police arrived early Saturday morning to arrest the TDP Chief, they faced resistance from TDP cadres. A minor scuffle also broke out between officials and Naidu’s supporters during his arrest.

Meanwhile, N Chandrababu Naidu, who was later arrested on an alleged case of corruption, said that the CID made the arrest without any proper information and that they refused to show him evidence.

Talking to mediapersons ahead of the police taking him into custody, Naidu said, I did not commit any malpractice or corruption. CID arrested me without any proper information, and I asked them to show the evidence, but they refused to show it and attached my name to the FIR without my role.”

Naidu has been named as accused number 1 in the case, which involves over Rs 250 crore.

Details of the FIR and other details were provided to Naidu’s advocates, who also demanded prima facie evidence, pointing out that the former chief minister’s name was not mentioned in the FIR report.