Ongoing IT raids on senior TDP leader and MP CM Ramesh are now being seen as part of the Operation Garuda by the BJP government at the Centre to politically harass the ruling party leaders in AP.

Recently, similar massive raids against Minister Narayana were withdrawn at the last minute following unexpected media attention and non-cooperation from the AP government to provide police protection.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had also warned of serious consequences if Centre tried to target ruling party leaders in AP and that there would be no cooperation of any sort for such raids.

The present raids on properties of Ramesh were strongly protested by several TDP leaders.

Senior TDP leader Varla Ramaiah said in no uncertain terms that these raids were part of Operation Garuda by BJP which was hell bent on weakening their strong rivals without the least regard for values and principles.

Ramaiah said that instead of removing doubts of the nation on massive Rafael jet fighters scam, the Modi government was trying to harass rival parties’ governments in the name of IT and ED raids.

Minister Paritala Sunitha said that investors were afraid to come and make investments in AP because of the BJP’s hostile stance towards the state.

She said that CM Ramesh was now targeted just because he played a crucial role in the Kadapa steel factory agitation a few months ago when a lot of pressure was brought on Centre to allot funds for the factory.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Vishnuvardhan Reddy refuted allegations of TDP leaders, saying that CM Ramesh would not need to worry at all if he did not indulge in any corruption or illegal activities.

Reddy blamed TDP leaders for what he described as the ruling leaders’ greed which was responsible for AP getting a bad name among industrialists.

G.RaviKiran