Following TDP leader Nara Lokesh's two-day questioning by the Andhra Pradesh CID regarding the Amaravati Inner Ring Road Scam case, he sought an audience with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital on Wednesday night.
In a message shared on the social media platform X, Lokesh informed the public of his discussion with Shah, highlighting what he described as the "blatant misuse" of state government resources and perceived "regime revenge" against his father and TDP leader, N. Chandrababu Naidu, by the ruling YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh.
"Met with the Hon'ble Union Home Minister @AmitShah Ji and apprised him of the blatant misuse of state machinery by YSRCP Govt in Andhra Pradesh, the regime revenge against Hon'ble @ncbn garu, and the appalling condition in which he has been lodged in prison where his life is under threat," Lokesh posted on X last night.
Naidu is presently in judicial remand at the Rajamahendravaram central prison due to allegations of misappropriating funds from the Skill Development Corporation, resulting in an alleged loss of over Rs 300 crore to the state exchequer.
The Amaravati Inner Ring Road case revolves around allegations of "manipulating" the master plan of Amaravati's capital city, as well as the alignment of the inner ring road and the seed capital, supposedly favoring certain companies during Naidu's tenure from 2014 to 2019.
Sources from the TDP reported that after his questioning, Lokesh rushed to Delhi to meet with Amit Shah.
Lokesh had previously stated that he did not seek appointments with Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Amit Shah during his three-week stay in Delhi immediately following his father's arrest. He did, however, meet with President Droupadi Murmu and presented a memorandum regarding his father's arrest, asserting it to be "illegal."
During his meeting with Shah, Lokesh was accompanied by the BJP chiefs of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, D Purandeswari and Kishan Reddy, respectively, PTI reported.
Purandeswari mentioned that "Lokesh elaborately explained to Amit Shah ji about the vindictiveness of the state government and leaders at the helm of affairs. Now those who blame the Centre need to reply as to why Amit Shah ji would give an appointment to Lokesh if the BJP was behind the arrest!" on X.
In response to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's assertion that Naidu's arrest was not driven by vengeance, Lokesh expressed concerns about his father's safety in prison.
Reddy has recently stated that he holds no personal vendetta against Naidu and that Naidu's arrest was the result of actions taken by Central probe agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax Department, which have reportedly uncovered evidence of corruption. Reddy also noted that the IT department had issued notices.
In addition to the Skill Development Corporation Scam case, the Andhra Pradesh CID is actively investigating and prosecuting the Amaravati Inner Ring Road Scam and the AP FiberNet Scam cases.
