TDP threatens legal action against YSRC, media outlet for false reports on I-T raids

Hyderabad: The Telugu Desam Party, which has had a rough week that saw I-T raids conducted at the residence of party chief Chandrababu Naidu's former personal secretary, finally got a breathing space. The Panchanama report released by the Income Tax department said that only cash worth Rs. 2.63 lakh and 12 tolas of gold was seized from the residence of Pendyala Sreenivas, the former personal secretary of Mr Naidu.

Media reports that claimed the I-T department had seized Rs. 2,000 crore from Mr Sreenivas's house is incorrect, according to the report. Irked with the reports that appeared in the Sakshi, the TDP leader and former RTC chairman, Mr Varla Ramaiah, burnt copies of the Daily. Meanwhile, the TDP has launched an agitation against the ruling YSRC warning that it will initiate a legal action against the party for propagating false reports. The TDP leaders launched a Twitter war against the YSRC for false reports about the raids.

The AP legislative council Opposition leader, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, warned that they will take legal action against Sakshi media outlet for its false campaign against TDP. He said they will lodge a complaint against the paper to the Press Council of India and the Editors Guild.

In a statement, Mr Ramakrishnudu said the newspaper exaggerated the I-T raids and published false reports about Rs. 2,000 crore and 26 shell companies, when the truth was the I-T officials found only Rs. 2 lakh cash. He said the YSRC leaders should apologise to the TDP and said his party will launch a criminal and legal action against those who resort to false campaigns.

Former minister Nimmakayala Chinarajappa, meanwhile, tweeted that the Panchanama report revealed the false campaign of the YSRC. He said that those who indulge in corruption will see corruption everywhere.