Industries and IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath launched a scathing counterattack on former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu’s assertions of securing relief in the Skill Development Corporation scam from the Supreme Court.
He categorically dismissed Naidu’s claims, emphasising that no court has absolved him of any wrongdoing, and the investigation into the matter will persist.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, Amarnath clarified the misconceptions surrounding the recent Supreme Court verdict, asserting that Naidu’s plea under Section 17A was procedural and did not grant him exoneration. “Naidu did not receive any relief,” he affirmed. “Section 17A does not apply to the 2015 Skill Scam. No one, including Naidu, denies the embezzlement charges.”
Amarnath underscored that multiple courts have already deemed Section 17A inapplicable in this case.
Therefore, Naidu must face legal consequences for his actions, irrespective of procedural arguments. “He may not be in jail, but he is not innocent,” stressed the Minister. Taking a broader swipe at Naidu’s political party, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Amarnath accused it of causing lasting damage to Andhra Pradesh, “chopping away at the State’s future.” He asserted that the people have firmly rejected such parties and their detrimental actions.
“Chandrababu Naidu is avoiding discussions on his alleged wrongdoing, focusing only on Section 17A,” Amarnath pointed out. “But the public sees through this. His day of reckoning in the public court is near. The people have decided that such parties have no place in our state.”
