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SC verdict dashed Naidu’s hopes of getting case quashed, says YSRCP
Andhra’s ruling party said the Supreme Court had not exonerated Naidu in the skill development case and had only focussed on the following of procedure
Hyderabad: The split verdict given by a Supreme Court bench on the petition filed by Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu seeking to quash the case against him in the multi-crore skill development case is a big setback to him, the ruling YSR Congress party said on Tuesday.
Additional Advocate General Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy said the judgement given by the Supreme Court bench, referring the case to a larger bench headed by chief justice of India was a big jolt to Naidu. “The development has dashed Naidu’s hopes of getting the case quashed on technical grounds,” Reddy said.
Senior YSRC leader and state industries minister Gudivada Amarnath said the Supreme Court had not exonerated Naidu in the skill development case and had only focussed on the following of procedure in filing the case.
“Even Naidu and his lawyers argued the case on the applicability of Section 17-A of the Representation of People’s Act but did not claim that he was not guilty in the case. It is pretty clear that Naidu has committed the crime and he has to face the punishment in the people’s court, if not in the Supreme Court,” Amarnath said.
Senior TDP leader and former minister Nakka Ananda Babu, however, accused the Additional Advocate General of behaving like a YSRCP leader. “The ruling party leaders are commenting as if the Supreme Court has given the judgement against Naidu, which is not. The judges differed on the procedure followed by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government and referred it to the Supreme Court,” he said.
The TDP leader said it was in fact, a partial victory for Naidu. “We need to see whether the case will be referred to a three-member bench or a five-member bench or even a Constitutional bench. Naidu is going strictly as per the law to get out of the cases illegally foisted on him,” he said.
