Lanka Dinakar on TDP leader's arrest: 'Guilty should be punished', asks CM to be cautious

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lanka Dinakar on Friday stated that those guilty of crimes should be punished irrespective of their political affiliation. Dinakar's comments come at the back of the senior Telugu Desam Legislature Party (TDP) Deputy leader and former Andhra Pradesh minister K Atchannaidu was taken into custody by state Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths earlier in the day in connection with alleged Rs 151 crore scam in the ESI Corporation.

READ: ESI Scam: Andhra Pradesh ACB Arrests Senior TDP Leader, Chandrababu Cries Vendetta

'Guilty should be punished'

Dinakar, who was previously was a TDP leader and jumped ship to BJP last June was quoted by ANI as saying, "Today former labour minister of Andhra Pradesh has been arrested by Anti-Corruption Bureau of Andhra Pradesh on the charges of ESI medicine purchases in which few procedures haven't been followed and there was corruption which took place around these transactions without transparent procedures. It is the responsibility of the Andhra Pradesh government to prove offence with proper evidence stating otherwise people might feel that these are all vengeance politics. Guilty should be punished irrespective of the party," he added.

READ: TDP Files 'chargesheet' Against YSRCP Govt Over Alleged Corruption

Meanwhile, relating to the cases in which Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister is involved, Dinakar said, "BJP is strongly demanding that let the truth come out and guilty should be punished based on proper evidence. At the same time, Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy is facing more than one CBI case. He should cooperate with CBI and he needs to attend regularly for trials to complete CBI court procedures as early as possible."

In the wee hours of Friday, ACB teams from Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam bureau surrounded the former minister Atchen Naidu's residence at Nimmada in Srikakulam district and arrested him.

READ: Andhra Pradesh Minister Slams TDP, Asks Reason For 'intervening' In SEC Issue

A few days ago, ACB authorities arrested former Insurance Medical Services (IMS) director Dr CK Ramesh Kumar in Tirupati. Atchen Naidu was arrested based on Dr Kumar's confession and available evidence.

READ: Andhra Pradesh BJP Attacks YSRCP As SC Upholds State Election Commissioner's Reinstatement

(Image credits: ANI)