Reddy blames Raju rise on predecessor Chandrababu

For somebody who is being hemmed in from all sides, Andhra chief minister YSR Reddy does not give the impression of a man under siege. On the contrary, he appears to be in control of the situation, may it be the Satyam scam or the ganging up of TDP, TRS and Left against him.

Interacting with the media before emplaning for Hyderabad after a two-day visit to the capital, the chief minister said, “The way the Satyam management has defrauded the shareholder is mind-boggling and a blot on the state and the country. We are determined to ensure that none of those involved gets away.”

Reddy said he had absolutely nothing to do with the rise of Satyam or any of its affiliated units such as Maytas. “No favours were offered to Satyam or Maytas. Raju was already a big player by the time I became the chief minister. The metro project was awarded to them because financially there’s was the soundest proposal, and the entire thing was dealt with in the most transparent manner. We are now examining whether they are in a position to carry out the work. Else it will be handed over to some other agency.”

Absolving himself of any wrongdoing, the chief minister repeatedly referred to how his predecessor Chandrababu Naidu had projected Raju by seating him on the dais along with former US president Bill Clinton. “The projection happened during Babu’s time,” he said.