Headlines
Cash-for-vote scam: Andhra CM's audio tape made public
Hyderabad, June 8
The cash-for-vote scam in
Telangana took a dramatic turn on Sunday with the release of an audio
tape of a purported telephonic conversation between Andhra Pradesh Chief
Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and nominated Telangana legislator Elvis
Stephenson.The Andhra government denied that it's Naidu's voice.
This
is perhaps for the first time in India that a chief minister of a state
has been tapped while allegedly trying to lure a legislator. Denying
that it is Naidu's voice, the Andhra Pradesh government has taken the
release of audio tape seriously and vowed to fight it legally,
constitutionally and politically.
The new twist may create a
constitutional crisis as Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Telangana is
planning to summon Naidu for questioning in the case. Hyderabad is the
common capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Both Telangana Rashtra
Samithi (TRS) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) governments have taken up the
issue with E.S.L. Narasimhan, who is the governor for both the Telugu
states.
The audio tape was released three days after Telangana
Home Minister N. Narasimha Reddy said the government has proof that
Naidu spoke to Stephenson and some other MLAs of TRS to lure them to
vote for TDP-BJP candidate in Telangana legislative council elections.
The audio tape was first played T News, a Telugu news channel owned by ruling TRS and was later picked up by others.
During
the conversation, Naidu purportedly assured the nominated member that
he is with him. "Our people briefed me. I am with you don't bother. For
everything I am with you. What all they spoke we will honour," Naidu was
heard as telling the legislator.
In swift developments on Sunday
night, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao met Governor
Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan while Naidu called a meeting with Andhra
Pradesh Director General of Police J.V. Ramudu and other officials to
take stock of the latest situation.
Rao's meeting with the governor, the second in three days, came minutes after the release of the audio tape.
Telangana
TDP legislator A. Revanth Reddy was arrested by the ACB on May 31 when
he was offering Rs.50 lakh to Stephenson to make him vote for TDP-BJP
candidate in the elections to Telangana legislative council.
ACB, which had laid a trap on a complaint by Stephenson, also arrested Revanth Reddy's aides Sebastian Harry and Uday Simha.
TRS leaders have been alleging that Naidu is the mastermind in the scam and he should be booked.
The
audio tape came to light a few hours after ACB questioned Revanth Reddy
and two others for a second day. A city court had sent them to four-day
custody of ACB.
Earlier in the day, Naidu met Narasimhan, who is
governor for both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The TDP chief
reportedly complained to the governor about TRS government tapping his
phone.
Meanwhile, Naidu's media advisor Prakala Prabhakar told
reporters on Sunday night that the voice in the audio tape is not the
voice of Naidu.
He said the government was taking the release of
the audio tape seriously and will not keep quiet. "We will fight it
legally, constitutionally and politically," he said.
He wanted to
know from the TRS government as to how it got the audio tape. "If you
have done telephone tapping, it is a crime and if you have recorded Mr.
Chandrababu Naidu's voice on different occasions, tampered it and
presented to mislead people that it is his conversation, it is also a
crime," he said.
Naidu's aide wondered how the audio tape could
be released as evidence when the same should be produced in the court,
where the case is being heard. Prakala condemned the attitude of
Telangana government towards Andhra Pradesh chief minister in the common
capital. He said both the governments and both the chief ministers had
equal rights in the common capital.
He pointed out that under
section 8 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, the governor is
responsible for law and order, protection of lives and property of
people and vital installations in Hyderabad.
He alleged that the
release of audio tape was a conspiracy to tarnish Naidu's image and
disrupt the public meeting scheduled to be held in Guntur on Monday to
mark TDP government's first year.
The media advisor said the government would go ahead with the meeting and fight the conspiracy.
Andhra
Pradesh's Finance Minister and senior TDP leader Y. Ramakrishnudu said
the audio tape was a proof that the TRS government was violating law by
tapping phones.