Amaravati: Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu yesterday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi protected only criminals and called him a ‘pseudo chowkidar’.
Naidu’s remarks triggered a strong reaction from the BJP which accused the Telugu Desam party president of resorting to “murky politics” as his party was frightened of losing in the April 11 Lok Sabha and State assembly polls. “What right you have to call yourself a chowkidar? You are chowkidar for criminals,” the Telugu Desam Party president said at a press conference here this evening.
Speaking at a press conference, Naidu alleged that in 2017 CBI did not act on the ED letter asking it to file a memo under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in ‘Jagan Mohan Reddy illegal assets case.’ He asked why the letter was suppressed for two years while old cases against opposition leaders were being dug out now.
Modi protected the YSR Congress president and the Telangana government did not take steps to cancel the land allotments made in a dubious manner, slammed Naidu. He further alleged that Jagan Mohan had surrendered to Modi and KCR to get bailed out of the case.
The BJP, however, condemned Naidu’s remarks saying TDP was indulging in false propaganda only for political gains and that the CBI had started working independently only after the BJP came to power at the Centre and that it never tried to fix or threaten anyone. Prime Minister Modi has no need to protect anyone.
Had the BJP been influencing investigating agencies, would Naidu who has been indulging in massive corruption be roaming free, they asked. “There is a cyclonic storm in AP against the TDP. It is so frightened of losing and hence resorting to murky politics. That its leaders are leaving the TDP in hordes is clear proof that its a sinking ship,” further alleged BJP leaders.