Naidu's deals also should be probed

Hyderabad, December 13: YSR Congress has demanded the
Centre to include the name of TDP leader N Chandababu Naidu in the terms of
reference of the judicial probe it has ordered into the huge amount spent by
retail giant Walmart for its entry into
India. 

“It becomes very
imperative to include his name in the terms of reference as a top official of
Heritage Foods, owned by his family members, had announced that they are
scouting for foreign investments,” the party spokesperson Janak Prasad told
reporters here on Thursday. 

The voting
pattern of TDP MPs in Rajya Sabha and Chandrababu Naidu’s one-to-one meeting
with Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram as a precursor to the FDI issue makes
us strongly believe that he has put personal interests over political ideology
and could be part of the Walmart lobbying, he said. 

The Centre,
which has ordered a judicial probe in to the claim of Walmart spending $ 25
million on lobbying “to enhanced market access for investment in
India,” should
also include the name of Heritage Foods, he said. 

With the top
official of Heritage Foods announcing that they are looking for strategic
business alliance with foreign players and TDP President and leaders meeting
the Union Finance Minister show that Heritage Foods has been inclined towards
FDI in retail sector, he said adding that the issue would come out only if the
name Chandrababu Naidu and Heritage Foods are also included in the scope of the
judicial probe, he said.

It was N
Chandrababu Naidu, who changed the style of governance shifting from a welfare
state to a corporate state and has been taking pride for his lobbying skills. 

Though there are
some restrictions for Walmart’s direct entry into tier-2 cities, no one can
stop their tie-up with companies like Heritage Foods which work for mutual
benefit, he said. 

Heritage Foods
which has a turnover of Rs 1,400 crores and a network of 72 branches has been
looking for tie-ups with foreign companies and the TDP leader stands exposed if
the probe ordered by the Centre covers his ground as well since the interests
are common, he said. 

Chandrababu
Naidu has the history of shutting down a profit making Chittoor Dairy to
benefit his Heritage Foods and is now lobbying for foreign capital. On the
political front too his stand has been dubious as he was speaking against FDI
during his padayatra while his MPs skip the voting in Rajya Sabah and go
scot-free.

This clearly
shows that his business interests precede over political and people’s interest
and it is a fit case for including in the probe of the Walmart case, he said.