YSRCP MPs stage protest at Parliament over Amaravati land deals, seek CBI probe

Staging a protest at the Parliament premises and at the Vijay Chowk, YSRCP MPs on Thursday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged irregularities in Amaravati land dealings, as well as the Andhra Fiber Grid scam.
The MPs have also taken exception to the gag order on media by Andhra Pradesh High Court on reporting the details of the FIR lodged in the alleged land scam in the Amaravati capital region. They alleged during the protest that the “judiciary in the state is creating hurdles” for the state government in each and every issue concerning the government. 
The MPs demanded that the Union government order a CBI probe into the allegations of irregularities. 
Speaking at the protest, YSRCP General Secretary Vijaya Sai Reddy said, “Freedom of expression and right to information are constitutionally guaranteed to the citizens. In certain exceptional situations, such rights can be halted temporarily but it is a very unfortunate matter to curb that right for every small thing by the Legislature or Executive or Judiciary.”
“I’m not attributing motives to any person or judge, but one thing is clear that the principles of justice that existed from 2010 to 2019 are not in place ever since YSRCP came into power in 2019. I’m questioning why those principles are being interpreted otherwise.”
He added, “Without attributing motives to anyone, I urge the people to understand why the judiciary is being biased.”

Vijaya Sai Reddy has also raised the issue in Rajya Sabha. He said that the state is performing well in terms of handling COVID-19 despite the odds from an economic point of view and “also from a judicial point of view.”
Reddy said that “quite unusual and highly questionable” orders have been issued in the form of interim orders by the High Court imposing the ban on media and social media from anything relating to FIR filed by police in the land scam.

Earlier, a Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC) set up by the state government in a report to the High Court alleged “insider trading” in the land transactions of Amaravati capital region under TDP regime. It mentioned several prominent personalities including former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and other ministers in his cabinet.
The State Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)  registered a corruption case against several people and accused them of abusing their official position to buy land in Amaravati, ahead of its announcement as the capital. However, HC has issued an injunction against any reporting by the media on the contents of the First Information Report (FIR) pertaining to the case.