YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has announced plans to file defamation cases against two leading Telugu dailies, Eenadu and Andhra Jyothy, accusing them of spreading false allegations that he accepted â¹1,750 crore in bribes from Adani in a solar power purchase agreement.
Defending the signing of the power purchase agreement (PPA) during his tenure, Jagan dismissed the allegations as baseless and demanded an apology from the publications.
He threatened to sue each daily for â¹100 crore if they failed to issue a retraction.
While Jagan’s move targets opposition-backed media houses, an unexpected critic has emerged in his sister, Y S Sharmila, who is also the state Congress president.
Sharmila has been openly accusing Jagan of accepting bribes from Adani, echoing claims from the recent U.S. indictment.
“If Jagan wants to file a defamation case, he should start with his sister, Sharmila, who has been making these allegations repeatedly since the U.S. indictment surfaced,” an analyst pointed out.
On Friday, Sharmila ridiculed Jagan’s assertion that he deserved praise for signing an agreement with SECI, which he claimed would benefit the state in the long run.
“Jagan doesn’t just deserve felicitations or shawls; he should win an Oscar for his brilliant acting and skill in fabricating lies while conveniently dodging the facts,” Sharmila quipped.
She questioned Jagan’s decision to purchase solar power at â¹2.49 per unit when the market rate was only â¹1.99 per unit at the time.
“Why was the agreement finalized overnight, especially when no other state was willing to purchase power from Adani?” she asked.
Sharmila also demanded clarity on the alleged secrecy surrounding Adani’s meetings with Jagan.
“Yes, it is historic that a state’s Chief Minister directly received â¹1,750 crore from an industrialist. For that, Jagan should indeed be felicitated,” she remarked sarcastically.
Further, she asked Jagan to clarify the identity of the “high-ranking official” who signed the deal with SECI and allegedly accepted the bribes, if not him.
“Who in your government would dare to sign such an agreement without your knowledge? Why lie when the U.S. indictment clearly states that the bribes were paid to the top official in the state?” Sharmila questioned.