Former chief minister, Chandrababu Naidu, on Wednesday expressed serious concern that committing crimes, passing the buck on others and preventing the Opposition parties to come out to fight on public issues have become the order of the day in this Government.

Addressing intellectuals, media persons, youth, women, farmers and teachers at Palle Pragathi programme at Rayadurgam, Naidu felt that only a hardcore criminal can do all such things. Observing that Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, got thoroughly exposed when his paternal uncle, YS Vivekananda Reddy, was done to death, the TDP supremo recalled that the murder was termed as a heart-stroke and a miscampaign was undertaken the following day in the name of Narasura Raktha Charitra.

Now the situation has come to such a pass that the Telangana High Court has observed that if the accused, Bhasker Reddy and Avinash Reddy, are among the public they may manipulate the evidences, Naidu remarked. “This apart, after making Rs 43,000 cr through corruption and when the ED and the CBI thoroughly exposed it with evidence a baseless allegation was made that a pink diamond was at my house and if raids are conducted immediately it can be seized,” he said.

Pointing out that even a misinformation campaign was undertaken that he had an account with Swiss Bank, the former chief minister said that some shell companies were created and money was deposited with these accounts which was later withdrawn. What happened at Angallu and Punganur, he asked and stated that works have been taken up without any permission in the name of digging the canals from Gandikota to Handri-Neeva and the lands of the poor was forcibly occupied.

“When I spoke supporting the farmers they asked me who am I to question them,” Naidu said. For the past four years they (ruling party leaders) have been continuing the same process of forcibly occupying the lands and later threatening them with serious consequences if they do not spell out the name of Naidu, he observed.

Recalling that he was blamed for Skill Development Project, for Fiber Grid, alleging corruption in the capital and even accusing him of acquiring lands in Amaravathi, Naidu said that now they have taken up Income Tax. Maintaining that the ruling party leaders are not allowed to be questioned on any issue, he said that cases are being registered after they have attacked the Yuva Galam pada yatra of Lokesh.

Calling upon those who gathered for the meeting to firmly resist this atrocious rule, Naidu felt that besides defending themselves they should also come to the rescue of the people. Naidu clarified the doubts raised by several participants.