- 17 hours ago
A fresh political storm has erupted in Andhra Pradesh following an RTI revelation that former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy spent approximately Rs 223 crore on air travel during his five-year tenure. The data, released by the Andhra Pradesh Aviation Corporation, details costs for chartered flights and helicopters, prompting the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to allege a 'sky-high splurge' of public money on 'personal luxury'. TDP National Spokesperson Pattabhiram Komareddy specifically accused Jagan of using chartered jets for private family trips, citing a Davos visit routed via London. In defense, YSRCP Spokesperson Karthik Yelapragada dismissed the charges as 'politically motivated', asserting the travel was for official state duties and demanding similar disclosures about current Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s expenses. The debate also highlighted claims that Minister Nara Lokesh funded his own travel, costing the state exchequer nothing.
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00:00Moving on, let's talk about also the political storm in Andhra Pradesh.
00:05After an RTI reply detailed how former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy spent crores of public money on luxury air travel,
00:14the TDPs latched onto this to say that the priorities of the YSRCP have been exposed.
00:20Now the RTI reply essentially suggested that 222 to 223 crores was the flight bill of Jagan Mohan Reddy.
00:28The YSRCP however has leveled these allegations as politically motivated and said why don't you provide similar disclosures from Chandrapabu Naidu's time as well.
00:41A fresh political storm has erupted in Andhra Pradesh, this time over what the TDP calls a sky-high splurge by former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
00:53The charge, crores of public money allegedly spent on luxury flights and helicopters during his tenure.
01:01Andhra Minister Nara Lokesh is leading the attack.
01:05According to him, 222 crore rupees were diverted for Jagan's personal luxury travel.
01:11Data released by the Andhra Pradesh Aviation Corporation shows Jagan Reddy spent 223 crore rupees on flights as Chief Minister,
01:22including 87.02 crore rupees on helicopter charges and 23.31 crore on operational crew costs.
01:30Year-wise spending climbed steadily from 31.43 crore rupees in 2019 to 2020 to 50.81 crore rupees in 2023 and 2024.
01:43The fact of the matter is, when the state was in financial distress and the people of Andhra Pradesh were suffering,
01:52the erstwhile Chief Minister has used public money for his own benefits and his own comforts.
01:59This is the truth, what we would like to put forward to the people of Andhra Pradesh.
02:03The YSRCP party has hit back, calling the charges politically motivated and incorrect.
02:11Parties demanding that the state government release similar aviation expenditure data from Chandra Babu Naidu's tenure as well.
02:17You keep shouting that Mr. YSRCP is going to spend 222 crores on personal travel,
02:24but you never show a single official document that says these were private holidays and not routine recorded tours of a sitting
02:31Chief Minister drawn from Andhra Pradesh Aviation Corporation and the RTI data that you have drawn,
02:37which you are twisting and misleading the people.
02:39With both sides trading numbers and accusations, Andhra's political battlefield has shifted and this time to the skies.
02:49Bureau Report, India Today.
02:54Okay, let's open this up.
02:55Joining us on this broadcast from the YSRCP is Karthik Yalapragada, YSRCP spokesperson.
03:02We also have Pattabhi Ram Komaredi, National Spokesperson of the TDP.
03:06Thank you both for your time.
03:07I'd like to begin with Karthik on what really the YSRCP's response is to this revelation of 222 crores of public money being spent
03:17by former Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy on his travel.
03:21Karthik, what's the YSRCP's response to this?
03:24Well, we've just seen that actually.
03:26Now, the point there is, you know, every weekend, Mr. Lokesh and Mr. Kalyan goes as a weekend shuttle service
03:36between Hyderabad and Vijayawada, and when we brought this up, and they want to spin this ocean.
03:42And then they came up with this 222 crores narrative on the screen now.
03:46And again, they claim that this is a personal expense of Mr. YSRCP and Monroody.
03:50And I strongly condemn that.
03:52Where did the documents say that this is all personal?
03:55He is a Chief Minister for the state of Bangladesh.
03:57When he was a Chief Minister, he was doing all his aid travel, and this is like any other state Chief Minister for that matter.
04:06Now, the point what we're asking is, shows the proofs.
04:09And what was the expenditure that Mr. Naido was spending when he was Chief Minister,
04:14where all the big outlets, news outlets in the country have reported saying that hundreds of crores have been spent going around Singapore and all of that,
04:21but gained nothing for the state of Andhra Pradesh, now put those documents also outside so that we'll compare line by line.
04:28And then we'll see objectively what is Mr. Jagan's expenditure towards this versus what is Mr. Naido's expenditure.
04:34No, fair, fair.
04:35Pattabhi Ram, your response.
04:37What does the TDP have to say to the YSRCP saying that, look, if you're going to accuse Jagan Moon Reddy of spending public money for private holidays,
04:45as the TDP puts it, what is really the expense by the current Chief Minister, by Chandra Babu Naido?
04:51Why not put out that data?
04:53Be fully transparent.
04:54I can very strongly say that it is criminal wastage of public money by Jagan Moon Reddy
05:00when the government was under severe financial stress, spending 222 crore on his luxuries.
05:07I'll give you two examples.
05:08Did any Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh flew to Davos in a special chartered flight via London to attend the World Economic Forum?
05:18It is only Mr. Jagan Reddy to go to Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum.
05:23He books a chartered flight, goes to London, picks up his family, goes to Switzerland, does a holiday there.
05:30In another instance, he goes to Davos via Istanbul.
05:33Did any Chief Minister ever in Andhra Pradesh or for that matter any Chief Minister in the country book a scheduled chartered flight to go to Davos?
05:43Why did he not go in a scheduled flight?
05:45Is this not criminal wastage of money?
05:47And the second point is, recently there was an RTI request to the AP Aviation Corporation to bring out the money that was spent on Sri Nara Loke's travel.
05:58My friend is quoting, weekend travel to Hyderabad and all.
06:02The reply was zero.
06:04The Andhra Pradesh Aviation Corporation had given a reply stating that Sri Nara Loke's did not spend a single rupee from the state exchequer.
06:12It was all his personal money.
06:15So, Mr. Jagan Reddy, who is known to spend public money on his own luxuries, look at the 500 crore he had spent on the Rishikonda Palace.
06:26Do they have any reply to that?
06:27Okay, okay, okay.
06:28It's been many times I've responded to that.
06:30Mr. Pattabhiram, I've given you a chance to respond.
06:33You've responded to that particular allocation.
06:35But, Kartik, here are specific examples, instances given by the TDP now of money that was used for travel.
06:43You know, a chartered plane to Davos.
06:47What are we saying, Akshita?
06:48No, they say it's a personal expenditure.
06:50It is not.
06:51But, we are asking to prove that, we are asking, we are asking to, let me, let me, let me, let me, let me, why is, why is he calling it private?
07:01Because he stopped it, London picked up his family is what the TDP says.
07:04That is, that's not the fact.
07:06That's not the fact.
07:07Ask them to prove that.
07:08That's not the fact.
07:09What we're saying is, ask them to prove, ask them to prove.
07:13Okay, one at a time, please, one at a time, one at a time, one at a time, please.
07:19Pattabhiram, just hold on for a second.
07:21Let Kartik respond and then I'll bring you back in.
07:23Yeah, thanks, Akshita.
07:25What we're saying is, give the, give the objective proves that this is a private travel.
07:29All of that was on state's expenditure.
07:32Now, another question what we're asking is, if Lokesh and Kalyan are doing those private trips, like a weekend shuttle service every weekend.
07:40And if, if they say that we're, we're paying from our pockets, how do we, how do we know that?
07:45Who's paying that?
07:46Who's paying for that?
07:47Which corporates are paying for it?
07:48On what could pro quo that these corporates are paying?
07:51And then are we mortgaging the state of Andhra Pradesh for that?
07:55The point is that, I mean, they can't sway away saying that this is on personal expense.
07:59Then that also need to be transparent, right?
08:02What is the, what is the proof there?
08:03Again, we want to ask the same question.
08:06These two 22 crows were being spent on the welfare.
08:08Well, the chief minister was going around on eight travels, which is common for any other state for that matter.
08:13Now, they, they twist this argument, Dakshita.
08:16They, they create this narrative that this is personal expense.
08:20Come on, this, I mean, this can't be personal expense.
08:22Where did that RTI tell this is personal expense?
08:25That was the expenditure that has happened.
08:26No, so specifically, to the example that the TDP has given,
08:29the specific instance of, for example, flying to Davos in a chartered plane,
08:33and then stopping by in London, picking up his family.
08:36That's what the TDP is alleging here.
08:38That is absolutely false.
08:40Picking up a family, what, what are we, what are we saying?
08:43And then, and, no, it's not, it's not a fact.
08:46It's not a fact.
08:47It's not a fact.
08:48Prove that on, prove that on.
08:50What we're saying is that the same gentlemen have gone to Davos recently,
08:54and then they say that, no, all of these investments,
08:57we're just there for connections and not to bring any investment into it.
09:00The same Singapore affair, when 39-odd crores is just spent for one Singapore A travel
09:04and got zero investments for the state of Andhra Pradesh during their tenure,
09:09and that's a serious affair.
09:11I mean, we've got to be asking, right, like, what, what is the return on investment
09:15on the A travel, that they've gone to Singapore, all of this, to Davos.
09:20None of that is happening.
09:21And again, they're twisting the argument, they're twisting the narratives.
09:24I want to be very clear.
09:26Okay, let me bring in the TDP on this.
09:28Mr. Pattabhiram, you've heard what the YSRCP says.
09:31They're saying that this is a twisting of narratives,
09:33that at the end of the day, Davos was for the benefit of Andhra Pradesh.
09:38We are just facts.
09:40We are just presenting facts.
09:41Are there no scheduled aircraft to Davos in Switzerland?
09:45Are there no scheduled aircraft from India to Switzerland in Davos?
09:49Why do you have to waste public money on a chartered flight?
09:52So it is you who had wasted.
09:54And look, who's talking about investments?
09:56What are the investments that are brought by Jagan Mohan Reddy from Davos
10:00or any of his other foreign visits?
10:01Zero.
10:02In the past one and a half year, we've brought $15 billion from Google.
10:06We've brought Cognizant.
10:07We've brought TCS.
10:08We've brought ArcelorMittal.
10:10In the recent CIA partnership summit, it is 13 lakh crores.
10:14It is a record in all the CIA partnership summits.
10:17They have destroyed the brand image of AP.
10:19That is the reason why you have received a drop in.
10:22That is the reason why you have received a drop in.
10:23I don't want to go into investments right now.
10:26I don't want to go into investments.
10:27The only question that is to be asked here is about whether this kind of a splurge
10:31is unique to Jagan Mohan Reddy, Mr. Pattabhiram, or is this something every political leader
10:35does, especially chief ministers of a state of using public money for travel, for state
10:41affairs, for events?
10:43Where is the proof?
10:44Where is the proof that this is a private expense?
10:46No, no chief minister had ever booked a chartered flight to fly from Ahmedabad or Vijayvada to
10:54Davos.
10:54It will be Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy alone and no chief minister had flown to Davos via London.
11:00No chief minister had picked up his family in London and flew to Davos.
11:04That will not happen.
11:05I want to deny that.
11:07Okay.
11:07Karthik, quickly, and then I'll raise another issue.
11:09Karthik, go ahead, quickly.
11:10It is on record.
11:12It is a shame.
11:13They're not answering this question.
11:15It is a shame on your own.
11:16It is a shame on your own.
11:18One at a time, sir.
11:20One at a time, please.
11:21One at a time.
11:21Karthik, go ahead.
11:22We have to maintain some decorum here.
11:24So, the point here is, again, the same question I'm asking.
11:27What is the proof that this is a private expense?
11:30They're claiming that it's a private expense.
11:32And then I want to expose this in national media now.
11:35What has been put forth in RTI is a general expense for the state of Andhra Pradesh being an exchequer.
11:39That is not a private expense.
11:41That is on record.
11:42And we bet now.
11:44Prove that.
11:45True it.
11:46Sure, sure, Karthik.
11:47But also raise the question here that the TDP has put up, which is that isn't it extravagant travel to go ahead on a chartered plane?
11:53Why not go on scheduled commercial planes?
11:55Why go ahead with a chartered plane?
11:58That is an extreme splurge.
12:00That's extravagance.
12:00It's not extravagance.
12:03The thing is that all of that family affairs and expense, all of that, they just bring it up in the air.
12:08That did not happen.
12:09I'm saying that.
12:11Hold on, sir.
12:12Hold on.
12:13Pata Biram Karu, hold on.
12:14I'll give you your chance, sir.
12:15There were enough instances that the whole thing, when they've gone to Singapore spending 39, 40-odd crows just for aid travel, bringing nothing, and Singapore government itself telling that we don't want to invest.
12:27As you said, we don't want to go into investment discussion today.
12:29But then, this is as if they're putting that, again, the same aspect of making Mr. Jaganmonerati look something different than what he is.
12:38That's not the fact.
12:39Every weekend shuttle service that Mr. Kalyan and Mr. Lokej is doing, every weekend, we are asking that how is the expense made?
12:50Who's paying for it?
12:51And prove the point, who's paying for it?
12:53No, and I'll ask that question.
12:54I'll ask that question.
12:55But, Karthik, is it not extravagant?
12:56Is it not extravagant to take a chartered plane?
12:59That is extravagance.
13:00That is a splurge.
13:02The point there is, this is, in Singapore as well, what is happening during 2014 and 2019, for an instance?
13:10And then, what is the proof that he's stopped there and gone for family?
13:15All of that is a fake narrative, Bakshita.
13:17This can't happen again and again.
13:19No, okay, so I'll set aside, I'll set aside, maybe he didn't stop for family.
13:23But still, again, I'll ask that question.
13:25Is it not extravagance to go ahead and take a chartered plane when there are scheduled flights out there?
13:30So, that is an extravagance splurge, yes or no, Karthik?
13:33It depends upon the magnitude of return on investment that we're expecting out of the conferences, out of the thing.
13:40And then, this is something, it can't be blown out of proportion that it never happened in the state.
13:43No, come on, we're not going to equate.
13:44We're not going to equate how many crores brought him for the state versus how much was spent on flying to Davos.
13:49That's not how it works.
13:50But, okay, TDP, Mr. Pattabhiram, go ahead.
13:53The other question that will be asked is, doesn't the current Chief Minister, the Andhra Chief Minister, also travel by charter flights?
13:59See, the first point is, you have asked him a straight question and he does not have an answer.
14:07And the second point is, if he is brave enough to come on to this channel tomorrow, I'll show you the flight record, flight, path of the flight which landed in London and went to Davos.
14:18If Mr. Karthik is brave enough, ask him to come on to the show tomorrow at 6 p.m., I'll prove it.
14:23And the second thing is, recently there was an RTI filed with the same question and the answer which was given by the aviation corporation is that not a single rupee was spent by Mr. Nara Lokesh on his travels between Vijayawad and Hyderabad or for that matter any other place.
14:41Ask them to file an RTI, ask them to come up with concrete evidence, we are ready to answer.
14:47We are behaving responsibly, we know the fiscal condition of the state and whatever chartered flights that are being booked for the personal travels of Chandrabavan, Ayedidharu or Rokesh, it is being paid by their company.
15:00Heritage is a company which is worth more than 5,000 crore.
15:04It is, you know, it can afford such travels and we don't have to draw money from the state extra credit.
15:10Okay, so the response there, Karthik, I'm sure you have heard from the TDP, they have given you the account now.
15:16They have said where exactly the money is coming from for these bookings, from heritage.
15:21So they have gone ahead and nailed that and spelled it out for you now.
15:25So then the question that comes up is when Jaganmur Reddy was the chief minister, who was paying?
15:30If he was taking a chartered plane to Davos, who was paying?
15:33So, even to Mr. Kalyan, the same heritage pays?
15:36We are not sure, we can double check that.
15:38But again, that side of the file.
15:40No, Patabhiram, Karthik, quickly respond on that.
15:42Quickly respond, then I'll bring in the voices.
15:43Yeah, see, Mr. Pawan Kalyan is also, you know, rich enough to afford.
15:49He is a famous film star.
15:51He doesn't have to rely on heritage or the state extra credit.
15:54Whatever flights he's taking, he's paying first day.
15:57You file an RTI, my friend.
16:00You file an RTI and get a reply.
16:02Why are you making these wild delegations?
16:04Who's stopping you from flying?
16:05Who's spinning the ocean?
16:07We're not making it, Patabhir.
16:08Who is stopping you from flying and out there?
16:10I am saying on India today.
16:13I am clearly stating on India today.
16:15Okay, Karthik, no, one second.
16:17Okay, so Pawan Kalyan is a big film star, can afford it.
16:21So that's another question that's been answered there, Karthik, Karthik.
16:23So the question that then will come up again is if the answers have come from the TDP about who's really paying for these private jet travel that you raced,
16:31you've got the answer from the TDP.
16:33What about Jaganmohan Reddy?
16:34What's the public money that was used for his chartered plane to Davos?
16:37And are you defending it, saying he brought it an investment so it was okay?
16:42The thing is, can't be just one instance of a chartered flight going into Davos.
16:46No, I'm raising one instance.
16:49I'm raising one instance because you did say it's not private.
16:52So this is not a private event.
16:53I concede that.
16:54It's not private.
16:55I'll tell you, Akshita.
16:56So there were instances.
16:58And again, intentionally I didn't want to bring.
17:01So even Brahmini or even Bhuneshwari who were accompanying when they were traveling to Davos.
17:06Was that scheduled?
17:07Who was paying for that in the same flight they go and then they actually stay in the Switzerland and come back?
17:12No, but they've highlighted that it's heritage.
17:13They've highlighted that it's heritage.
17:15Karthika, I don't want to drag in family because then again the same question comes up where, you know,
17:18the TDP will talk about London stopovers and whatnot.
17:21Just speaking about Jaganmohan Reddy.
17:23And, you know, again, keeping aside the private travel aspect,
17:26if we talk about Davos, which is as the capacity of a chief minister he's traveling,
17:30if he's going on a private jet, who's paying for that?
17:35That's an open secret.
17:36There's no secret for that, right?
17:37What we're saying is the same thing happened for Singapore.
17:39The same thing happened for other countries where 30, 40 odd crores have been spent between 14 and 19.
17:45Now, let's not just finger point on only Mr. Jagan and as if, as I every time say that,
17:49let's not blow out of the proportion that this is something only happening with Mr. Vajjeganmohan Reddy.
17:53That's what they're trying to actually constantly do.
17:56So, in Singapore, why have we charted flights flown to Singapore?
17:59That's my question as well.
18:01That's an open record.
18:02In the RTI records, in the RTI, where did this actually tell this is a private expense?
18:07They're twisting this whole thing and then trying to prove a point and rubbing against the people.
18:11Okay, quick response from Patabhi Raman and I'll wrap this up.
18:14Akshita, Akshita, my only point here is, when there was an option to fly on a scheduled aircraft to Davos,
18:22why should you spend crores of public money on your lavish chartered flight travel?
18:28Well, he had boarded a chartered flight in Vijaywada with his wife, Vartigaru, landed in London, picked up his children, then went to Davos.
18:38It is there all over in the newspapers.
18:40It is there in the flight path records.
18:42And you should have minimum, you know, to deny such things on national television, you should have some morality.
18:49So, what I'm saying is, I am happy that you have agreed, at least that, yes, Jagan and Reddy had flown in a chartered flight to Davos.
18:57I am happy for that.
18:58So, that is the point which I am saying, 222 crore and 500 crore, Akshita, you know, the kind of money that was wasted on Rishikonda Palace.
19:07Okay.
19:0840 lakh for a barthad.
19:09What a closing statement on that.
19:10Okay.
19:10I want 50 lakh for a massage statement.
19:13Okay, okay, 10 seconds, 10 seconds, Karthikaru, quickly, I have to wrap this up, please.
19:17We have seen this enough on 500 crore Rishikonda Palace.
19:20That is not the case.
19:21They themselves, their tourist department came openly and told that this is a public asset.
19:25Okay.
19:25This is a tourism asset.
19:27If they feel that this is Mr. Jagan's asset, ask them to register on Jagan's name and let's go to courts.
19:32Okay, I'm going to leave it at that.
19:33I'm going to leave it at that.
19:34You know, I know that if I bring up Vizag, it's going to be a whole fresh debate that will never end.
19:38But thank you very much, Karthikaru and Pattabhi Ramgaru, for joining us on this broadcast.
19:43The TDP and YSRCP added over who has spent more public money.
19:47At the end of the day, the RTI reply highlighting the 222 crores, that's a massive amount, was spent by former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy for his travel.
19:57And the TDP alleges a lot of it was for his private travel as well.
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