‌AP Govt Sends Legal Notices To Chandrababu, Ramoji, Radhakrishna

AMARAVATI: The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to initiate legal action against Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu for indulging in falsehood with the sole intention of tarnishing its image and two Telugu dailies, Eenadu and Andhra Jyothi, for publishing stories with baseless accusations.

The government on Friday issued notices to Chandrababu Naidu for making defamatory statements and Ushodaya Enterprises founder-director Ch Ramoji Rao and Ushodaya Publications editor M Nageswara Rao for publishing them in Eenadu daily newspaper.

The legal notice demanded unconditional apology from the three and have the same published in the newspaper or face a criminal prosecution. The notices were issued over Naidu's allegations about the supply of sand and a contract for supplying bags for the distribution of essential commodities under the PDS.

In another legal notice, the state government sought apology from Chandrababu Naidu, Ramoji Rao and Vemuri Radhakrishna of Andhra Jyothi for malicious statements over the mining leases given to Saraswati Power in Guntur district. Just as Chandrababu Naidu alleged, the two Telugu dailies also published stories claiming that the state government has extended the mining leases for Saraswati Power in Dachepalli of Guntur district for 50 years in violation of norms just because it is owned by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Principal Secretary Mines, Industries and Commerce, Gopala Krishna Dwivedi said that the government had issued GO for expanding lease for 50 years  to the Saraswati Power and Industries in Guntur in accordance with the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regualtion)  Ammendement Act, 2015.

He also said that Chandrababu Naidu made defamatory comments on the government though he had known about the issued GO was in accordance with the act. He also said that the government has issued notices to Chandrababu Naidu, Ramoji Rao and Vemuri Radhakrishna to seek apology. He further stated that the government had issued orders expanding mining leases to 31 companies in the state and Saraswati is one of them. All the orders issued are in compliance with the act, Dwivedi added.

The Principal Secretary further added that Eenadu had published the rejoinder but it was not satisfactory and Andhra Jyothi had not published the rejoinder. The legal notice demanded unconditional apology from the three and have the same published in their newspapers or face criminal prosecution.