AP CID books Naidu, Lokesh over campaign based on allegations against AP Land Titling Act

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (AP CID) booked a case against TDP president Nara Chandrababu Naidu, his son TDP national secretary Lokesh and a few others for allegedly conducting a campaign of fake information on the AP Land Titling Act.

This comes with just a week left for the polling day of the State Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in the state.

A complaint has been lodged by Malladi Vishnuvardan, MLA of Vijayawada Central Assembly, regarding the purported propagation of false, incorrect and unverified allegations against the ‘Land Titling Act’ through paid IVR calls by the TDP.

Based on the complaint filed, the EC has taken the issue seriously and instructed the Central Bureau of Investigation to investigate the case. The case was later transferred to AP CID.

IVR calls to voters

According to the complaint, the voters were receiving IVR calls with messages urging them not to vote for YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The messages claimed that the AP Land Titling Act would result in voters losing their wealth and land records. IVR calls were allegedly made by the TDP as part of their political campaign and the content of the calls was considered a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

The MCC guidelines prohibit the spread of unverified allegations and restrict criticism of policies, programs and past records.

Naidu, during his campaign meetings, called the Land Titling Act, a ‘Black Act’, which the ruling party brought to the fore with an eye on private properties across the state. He stated that the act would be scrapped after the TDP-BJP-Jana Sena Party alliance came to power.

Naidu claimed that the data pertaining to the land records was handed over to a private company purportedly for storing and it could be tampered with to benefit land grabbers.