Vijayamma petitions Pranab for justice in Jagan’s case

Honorary president of YSR Congress Party YS Vijayamma called on President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday evening at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. She submitted a petition and the two crore signatures collected through 'Jagan Kosam Janam Santakam' (people append signatures for Jagan’s release) campaign spread over a fortnight across all regions of Andhra Pradesh.

In the petition submitted to the President  Vijayamma said that  Andhra Pradesh has been witnessing a case of blatant violation of human rights by CBI, where in the name of investigation, our party president  Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was arrested and placed in custody for the last seven and half months. Around two crore people have voluntarily signed protesting his continued illegal detention by the CBI and we request your intervention for rendering speedy justice.

The CBI alleges that Dr. Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy, during his tenure as CM doled out government largesse to many  a corporate organisation which in turn invested in the companies of  Jagan Mohan Reddy.

As long as Jagan Mohan Reddy remained with the Congress Party, he and his father remained respectable men in the eyes of the Congress. But, the moment Jagan Mohan Reddy came out of the Congress to keep up his word given to the families of those who died of shock or committed suicide unable to come to terms with the tragic death of YSR, Congress MLA Sankara Rao, filed a PIL in the state High Court against Jagan. That Mr. Sankara Rao was inducted into the state Cabinet immediately after this speaks for itself. Not surprisingly, the TDP also filed the same petition which was later tagged on to Sankara Rao’s petition.

Both the ruling and opposition parties had come together in the most unethical manner to persecute and victimize Jagan Mohan Reddy who was only trying to keep up his commitment given to the people.

Instead of probing first whether Government business rules were broken and favours granted in the issuing of GOs by various ministries, the CBI began witch- hunting and fixing Jagan Mohan Reddy by probing the investments made into his companies by several individuals and companies. In an unprecedented manner, 28 teams of CBI raided the companies owned by him and other investors who invested in his companies within no time of filing an FIR against him.

As the then Congress leader who personally knew the late YSR for many years, you know very well that YSR remained the pillar of strength to the Congress for decades and served the nation and the people till his last breath. Dr. YSR, as a man of integrity, was always committed to the welfare of the poor and to the development of Andhra Pradesh with the exceptional quality of never going back on his commitments.

As you know very well Sir, Dr. YSR would not deviate from the established procedures and Government policy. Now, it is not fair on the part of the CBI to attribute wrong doing for Dr.YSR who is not there to defend himself, especially when there are no procedural deviations in the GOs issued by the Cabinet of YSR. This was also certified by the Government when it was forced to respond to the Supreme Court on the 26 GOs issued by the various Ministries.

The present Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Kiran Kumar Reddy has also gone on record saying there were no deviations or preferential allotments and all the GOs issued by the Cabinet of Dr.YSR were correct. In such a case, where is the question of quid pro quo? Why then is Jagan Mohan Reddy still in custody?

Coming to the business of Jagan Mohan Reddy, during the period 2004-2009 that were being investigated, the CBI contends that who had received favours from the YSR regime invested in his companies. Those who had invested had received their share certificates and were free to sell their shares. The shares were placed at the same rate to everyone and the money didn’t come in one go but it came in a four or  five  year period so much so that even one year after the death of Dr. YSR, the people had invested at the same rate.

Moreover, the valuation of both these companies (Jagati Publications and Janani Infrastructure Ltd) is far below than what has been charged by the competitors. For instance, the value of Jagati Publications, running the Sakshi daily, is half that of the valuation of our competitor Eenadu, another vernacular daily.

What right does the Government have to intrude into the personal businesses and affairs of a person when there has been no complaint lodged by any of these investors? Very recently, it was our finance minister who went on record saying that the personal affairs of a private individual can’t be investigated. Supreme Court also recently barred investigation into the affairs of Dimple Yadav, wife of Akhilesh Yadav ruling that since she didn’t hold any public office, the CBI couldn’t investigate into her affairs, the petition said.

During the period of investigation, Jagan Mohan Reddy did not hold any office in Government and he was only a private individual residing in Bangalore. He never spoke to any minister or any IAS officer nor did he step in to the Secretariat or CMO even once.

The money invested in Jagan Mohan Reddy-owned companies had not come into his hands but had gone into the projects and it is still there along with his investment. The companies so established have contributed to the economy in their capacity. They had provided direct and indirect employment to over 30,000 families. Investors in Bharati Cements have almost doubled their money when compared with their investments after the majority stake in the company was sold to French Cements major VICAT Cements.

Sakshi daily, run by Jagati Publications, is ranked number eight in the country in terms of ABC certified circulation and Indian readership surveys. The daily also provides employment directly and indirectly to over 20,000 families.

In a democratic country like ours, where all are equal in the eyes of law and where the constitution provides each individual safeguards and protection for his / her life and liberty, having to be in jail for close to eight months without charges being proved or conviction is highly deplorable. The law explicitly states that if investigation is not completed in 90 days after the arrest is made, bail has to be granted automatically.

But everywhere, whenever we approach the courts for bail, the reasons given by the CBI for opposing bail for Jagan Mohan Reddy are frivolous and mischievous. CBI says that Jagan Mohan Reddy being an MP and a political party president can tamper with the evidence and influence the witnesses. Aren’t the ministers who have been granted bail without opposition from CBI more influential economically and politically than Jagan by virtue of them being in the ruling party while he is in the opposition? Moreover, the issues relating to the 26 GOs are three to five years old and are therefore historical in nature. So, where is the question of tampering with the evidence?

It is the humble request of two crore people of Andhra Pradesh who have signed with the hope that you will use your good offices which God Almighty has bestowed upon you to do good and to correct this grave injustice. To do good and bring relief to those in distress is the sacred duty conferred upon you by both man and God. People of Andhra Pradesh are looking forward for your powerful intervention. We pray that you will not allow another day to pass with such kind of gross injustice happening in our illustrious nation, the petition said.

- Sakshipost