TDP on sticky wicket over illegal sand mining issue

Tirupati: The alleged involvement of some of the TDP leaders in the illegal sand mining caused much embarrassment to the ruling party. With no exception, all the opposition parties indicted the TDP leaders in the illegal sand mining and held them responsible for the woes of the villages on the banks of Swarnamukhi River in Yerpedu, Thottambedu and Srikalahasti mandals through which the river meanders before entering Nellore district.

Highlights:

• YSRCP MLAs Narayana Swamy and Sunil demand confiscation of ill-gotten wealth and lands of ZPTC Dhananjaya Naidu and Chiranjeevulu
• People residing in the villages located on Swarnamukhi river bank openly accused the TDP leaders of running the sand mafia and lamented on the officials turning a blind eye on the illegal sand mining

With none other than Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu himself openly seeking the suspension and arrest of two of his party leaders Dhananjaya Naidu and Chiranjeevi from Srikalahasti constituency, indicting them in the illegal sand mining, the party finds itself on a sticky wicket. Naidu addressing the media in Delhi on Sunday wanted the arrest of some of his party men and also suspension of Yerpedu Tahasildar for lending support to the sand mafia.

While YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who on Sunday visited Munagalapalem from where 12 people died in the tragic Yerpedu incident alleged that TDP leaders Dhananjaya Naidu and Chiranjeevulu were behind the sand mafia. He said the illegal sand mining turned rampant after TDP came to power and sought a CBI enquiry. CPI national secretary K Narayana, who visited Munagalapalem also echoed the same view and alleged the involvement of TDP leaders in the illegal sand mining.

The Communist leader who visited the bereaved families in Munagalapalem on Monday sought a judicial probe to unearth the facts behind the illegal sand mining and the nexus between the ruling party and the officials including police and revenue allowing the sand mafia looting the sand.Apart from the political leaders, the whole of people in the villages located on Swarnamukhi river bank openly accused the ruling party of running the sand mafia and lamented on the officials turning a blind eye on the illegal sand mining.

Meanwhile, YSRCP district president and MLA K Narayana Swamy said that the involvement of TDP activists in sand mafia has been established beyond doubt with none other than the Chief Minister himself seeking the arrest of two of his party men.
Speaking to the media along with his party MLA Dr Sunil from the district, here on Monday, Narayana Swamy said that the whole village indicted some of the local TDP leaders including Yerpedu ZPTC Dhananjaya Naidu and Chiranjeevulu behind the sand mafia and is responsible for the woes of the villages including Munagalapalem but no action was taken.

The YSRCP leader said that mere suspension of the two from the party and their arrest is not suffice but the TDP government should see that all the ill-gotten wealth including landed properties the duo had acquired by illegal sand mining, in the last two years be confiscated after an enquiry.

By G Sridhar