Jagan Reddy sends legal notice to 2 publications over “false” articles on solar deal

New Delhi:

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday sent a legal notice to two publications tendering an unconditional apology for spreading defamatory, false and scandalous reports about him in connection with the legal proceedings initiated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). demanded. Adani Group.

The notice strongly rejected these claims as false and accused the newspapers of spreading malicious and misleading information about the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president.

“The alleged insinuations and other allegations arising out of the judicial proceedings in the US are clearly intended to seriously damage my client's reputation as an individual and as the head of the political party of the YSRCP, and also to discredit my client's functioning. Have to do.” Chief Minister of the state between 2019 and 2024,” said the notice given to Andhrajyothi newspaper by Mr Reddy’s lawyer.

The notice to the other newspaper Eenadu also said in similar terms, “…the motive behind the clearly false and scandalous allegations is your hostility towards my client, as a newspaper entity and as an individual, and his family. Inspired by.

“Although the motivation is to work as the media arm of the Telugu Desam political party and its supremo Shri N Chandrababu Naidu, the publications of Eenadu for the last 20 years would clearly indicate that you, as an entity, are politically are associated with the Telugu Desam Party and especially its supremo and present Honorable Chief Minister Shri N Chandrababu Naidu,” the notice to Eenadu said.

The legal notice criticized the publications for providing “false material with the intention and prior knowledge that it would damage the reputation of my client, the bribes paid to secure such agreements and the execution of such contracts.” The alleged role of the state government in achieving this has been cited. ,

The notices come in response to reports that state officials had allegedly taken bribes to purchase solar power when Mr Reddy was the Chief Minister.

Refuting the reports, the notice shared details of the power purchase agreement, saying it was an agreement between governments and no third party was involved.

The YSRCP has already strongly refuted the allegations made by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Eenadu that the previous state government had allegedly accepted the power supply offer “in a hurry” and had diverted Rs 1.1 lakh crore from the offer. There was a heavy burden of Rs.

YSRCP said in a statement that Eenadu newspaper used the propaganda spread by the ruling TDP to allege that the offer by Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) to supply power at Rs 2.49 per kilowatt in September 2021 was rejected by the then state government. Had accepted. Allegedly done very hastily within a seven-hour period, without taking adequate time to consider the strengths and shortcomings of the proposal. The report also alleged that the proposal is very prejudicial to the interests of the public, which will entail a burden of Rs 1.1 lakh crore.

The YSRCP has said that the allegations have been made despite the fact that, first, the tariff was lower than all sources of power for Andhra Pradesh discoms (electricity distribution companies) till date and second, regarding the special incentive of the central government's rebate in the proposal. Was also told. Of interstate transmission charges.