If Jagan is the voice of the people, his wife YS Bharathi Reddy is now his voice. Strong and firm as always, in her exclusive interview to CNN IBN she expresses her anguish over allegations against her husband and also over the Congress to have put him in trouble. She proves yet again that, Jagan is a people's man and that he would do anything for their welfare.Excerpts:
Q: You have written to the CBI director and to the Prime Minister complaining against the fact that your husband Jagan Reddy is being targeted. May I ask on what basis are you saying he is being targeted?
YS Bharathi: Yes, I am. He was not a public servant then. And none of his investors have any complaints regarding him. I don’t understand how a third party can come and have any complaints against him. He was not in power to take any decisions to favour anybody. And even otherwise, all the ministers have filed their counters in the Supreme Court saying that all the decisions taken by the Government of Dr YSR were according to rules and procedures and that everything was right with those decisions. Then, where is the case? Then why is Jagan still in jail?
Q: Jagan Mohan Reddy has been in jail since last year. Are you saying that he is in jail because of the Congress party which has relentlessly targeted him?
YS Bharathi: He's been in jail since May. I myself have the same question. Why is he still in jail? Is it because he provided employment to so many people? Is it because he was a successful businessman? Is it because he was living in Bangalore away from power? Why is it? I think it’s only because he chose to come out of Congress. When his father was the CM, none of these allegations were there and none of these cases were there. Fifteen months after my father-in-law died, they order an enquiry over a man who is no more; and they frame Jagan in it, who was not even a part of the government then and just one month after he leaves the Congress. The person who filed the case was also a Congress MLA who was made a minister just a month after he filed this case.
Q: If you are saying that it was congress party which is targeting Jagan Reddy, who in the Congress is targeting him? Is it the Congress president?
YS Bharathi: The man who filed the petition said he did it at the behest of Mrs. Gandhi. So I don’t know who’s behind this.
Q: You yourself say that Mrs. Gandhi is responsible for this mess which your husband is twining himself in and on the other hand your party goes ahead and supports UPA nominee in the presidential campaign. Were you looking for some kind of a quid pro quo from the govt in return for supporting the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee as president.
YS Bharathi: I think the presidential election is beyond parties. The president is
above parties. So we chose to support Pranab Mukherjee because he had a lot of experience; he has been a statesman for so long and Jagan also respects him.
Q: Respect is all very well. But you are not answering my question. Were you looking for support from Congress party to help Jagan come out of jail if you were willing to support UPA in the battle for the presidency?
YS Bharathi: No. Not really. Had there been an understanding Jagan would have been out long back. You fail to consider the fact that in the FDI vote, our party voted against the govt, whereas the TDP chose to abstain. In line with the thinking of the people, we voted against the govt.
Q: If this is the state of affairs between you and the Congress that you are directly naming today Congress president Sonia Gandhi for being responsible for the fate of your husband. Is it then correct to say that you will not be supporting any UPA formation at the centre in future and not be supporting any Congress-led govt even in AP?
YS Bharathi: One year down the line, it depends on the mood of the people, the mood of the people of the state. Jagan has always listened to the voices of the people. Because of that, he is where he is today. He's in jail today not because of the acts of corruption but because he chose to stand by people. Irrespective of what it means to him he will choose to do what his people want him to do.
Q: If on one hand you are accusing the Congress President for targeting Jagan, why are you not clear whether you will still be supporting a Congress-led formation at the centre or not?
YS Bharathi: Irrespective of what it means to Jagan If the people of the state want it he will do it. If there is so much negativity against the Congress then he might not do it. It all depends on that day.
YS Bharathi: Yes, I am. He was not a public servant then. And none of his investors have any complaints regarding him. I don’t understand how a third party can come and have any complaints against him. He was not in power to take any decisions to favour anybody. And even otherwise, all the ministers have filed their counters in the Supreme Court saying that all the decisions taken by the Government of Dr YSR were according to rules and procedures and that everything was right with those decisions. Then, where is the case? Then why is Jagan still in jail?
Q: Jagan Mohan Reddy has been in jail since last year. Are you saying that he is in jail because of the Congress party which has relentlessly targeted him?
YS Bharathi: He's been in jail since May. I myself have the same question. Why is he still in jail? Is it because he provided employment to so many people? Is it because he was a successful businessman? Is it because he was living in Bangalore away from power? Why is it? I think it’s only because he chose to come out of Congress. When his father was the CM, none of these allegations were there and none of these cases were there. Fifteen months after my father-in-law died, they order an enquiry over a man who is no more; and they frame Jagan in it, who was not even a part of the government then and just one month after he leaves the Congress. The person who filed the case was also a Congress MLA who was made a minister just a month after he filed this case.
Q: If you are saying that it was congress party which is targeting Jagan Reddy, who in the Congress is targeting him? Is it the Congress president?
YS Bharathi: The man who filed the petition said he did it at the behest of Mrs. Gandhi. So I don’t know who’s behind this.
Q: You yourself say that Mrs. Gandhi is responsible for this mess which your husband is twining himself in and on the other hand your party goes ahead and supports UPA nominee in the presidential campaign. Were you looking for some kind of a quid pro quo from the govt in return for supporting the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee as president.
YS Bharathi: I think the presidential election is beyond parties. The president is
above parties. So we chose to support Pranab Mukherjee because he had a lot of experience; he has been a statesman for so long and Jagan also respects him.Q: Respect is all very well. But you are not answering my question. Were you looking for support from Congress party to help Jagan come out of jail if you were willing to support UPA in the battle for the presidency?
YS Bharathi: No. Not really. Had there been an understanding Jagan would have been out long back. You fail to consider the fact that in the FDI vote, our party voted against the govt, whereas the TDP chose to abstain. In line with the thinking of the people, we voted against the govt.
Q: If this is the state of affairs between you and the Congress that you are directly naming today Congress president Sonia Gandhi for being responsible for the fate of your husband. Is it then correct to say that you will not be supporting any UPA formation at the centre in future and not be supporting any Congress-led govt even in AP?
YS Bharathi: One year down the line, it depends on the mood of the people, the mood of the people of the state. Jagan has always listened to the voices of the people. Because of that, he is where he is today. He's in jail today not because of the acts of corruption but because he chose to stand by people. Irrespective of what it means to him he will choose to do what his people want him to do.
Q: If on one hand you are accusing the Congress President for targeting Jagan, why are you not clear whether you will still be supporting a Congress-led formation at the centre or not?
YS Bharathi: Irrespective of what it means to Jagan If the people of the state want it he will do it. If there is so much negativity against the Congress then he might not do it. It all depends on that day.
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