Jagan Got Arrested ,CBI Intarogated at Around 8 Hrs in CBI Office

Arrest of Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao in the Y.S.Jaganmohan Reddy's illegal assets case here on Thursday literally left his Cabinet colleagues nonplussed and five other Ministers named in the case jittery.

Though some of the Ministers named in the Jagan's assets case -- P. Sabitha Indra Reddy, Kanna Lakshminarayana, Ponnala Lakshmaiah and others had put up a brave front asserting that they did no wrong, none was sure what turn their future would take after Mopidevi's arrest.

Ministers Lakshminarayana and Lakshmaiah said they were ready to face CBI questioning in relation to the 26 GOs and reminded that they had never tried to get stay against CBI proceedings or Supreme Court notices as it would amount to accepting guilt.

Cabinet meets

After an emergency Cabinet meeting convened by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy later in the day, several Ministers expressed solidarity with Mr. Mopidevi and said they were confident that he would come out clean after the investigation.

Sources said Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Raj Narasimha said it was becoming embarrassing as media was writing names of colleagues about their possible arrest. Another Minister D. Sridhar Babu lamented that CBI was questioning the Government decisions. Minister Danam Nagender said arrest of BC Minister had sent wrong signal. Ms. Sabitha Indra Reddy expressed anguish that media persons were waiting outside her house daily anticipating her arrest.

“Mopidevi had signed files related to VANPIC acting on the directions of our leader (YSR) then”, Ministers B. Satyanarayana, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, V. Sunitha Lakshma Reddy, D. Sridhar Babu and K. Parthasarathi told mediapersons after the meeting.

“We all back Mopidevi and feel sad for him as he did not gain anything personally by signing the files,” they said.

Mr. Parthasarathi said Mopidevi had become a scapegoat when the benefits were being enjoyed by others.

Cadres angry

A senior Minister campaigning in Coastal districts said Mopidevi's arrest had pained them while the party workers and the grass root cadre were demoralised and anguished. “We don't find fault with the investigation agency. But it was an open secret that Mopidevi as the then Infrastructure and Ports Minister became a scapegoat for obeying the orders of YSR in good faith,” he said. 

CBI Asked Jagan to be present in CBI office by tomorrow morning.....