Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy's recent allegation that Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, now in jail, has converted his cell into his party office, today led to the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) upping its ante against the Congress government.
After many other ministers and Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana also endorsed Anam's allegation, several ruling Congress party leaders like government chief whip Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy have openly demanded an inquiry into the happenings in the jail, leaving the Andhra Pradesh government in a fix.
"Statements by Anam and Gandra corroborate our stand about the utter misuse of authority by the jail superintendent and other staff. If an inquiry is not immediately ordered, it will be construed that the government is colluding with Jagan and extending full support to him to carry out his political activities from jail," TDP politburo member and MLC Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said in a letter to the Chief Minister today.
TDP has demanded an impartial inquiry by the Vigilance and Enforcement Department and the Anti-Corruption Bureau into irregularities in Chanchalguda Central Jail where Jagan is lodged.
Rajya Sabha MP V Hanumantha Rao also demanded Jagan be shifted to a prison outside the state to stop his political activities in jail, a view that is privately shared by many party leaders.
However, Andhra Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy is undecided about the issue.
"We have to first crack the whip on errant jail authorities and that can happen only after an inquiry. But that could open a can of worms," a minister pointed out.
"If the government shifts Jagan to a prison outside the state, as demanded by some of our own leaders, it would be like agreeing that the state of affairs in AP prisons are shameful. If at all, Jagan can be shifted only on security grounds," a minister, who did not wish to be quoted, said.
While Director General of Prisons T Krishna Raju denied any irregularities by jail authorities, the Kiran Kumar Reddy-led government remained silent on the issue.
The jail superintendent's reply to an RTI query that "no record" of entry or exit timings is being maintained and that closed-circuit cameras are also "not recording" happenings inside the jail, has tended to lend credibility to allegations that visitors are being indiscriminately allowed to meet Jagan in jail without any hindrance.
Meanwhile, Jagan's party YSR Congress has dared the Congress government to order an inquiry to bring out the facts even as it maintained that no rules were violated by Jagan in jail.
Arrested by CBI on May 27, 2012 in a disproportionate assets case, Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has since been lodged as an un-convicted prisoner in Chanchalguda Central Jail as a special class prisoner.
Besides his family members, political leaders of all hues have met him in jail before formally joining YSR Congress.
