The alleged conversation between two top executives of the Air Asia airlines in which Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s name came up for discussion has landed the latter in an embarrassing situation.
While Bharatiya Janata Party MP and official spokesman G V L Narasimha Rao said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) would probe into the case in all angles, including possible links with Naidu, the YSR Congress party did not lose much time in alleging that the chief minister had been brokering international deals.
The leaked 33 minute conversation between the Malaysia based airline’s top executives, Tony Fernandez and Mitto Chandilya took place during the tenure of civil aviation minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju.
The airline executives can be heard saying that TDP was sharing power with BJP as part of NDA coalition and one has play nice with Naidu to get things done and they want to develop Vizag into an aviation centre.
Though it is difficult to prove Naidu’s role in Air Asia scam just because two people spoke about his clout, it is definitely an embarrassing situation for Naidu politically.
When some media persons questioned him about the scam, he shot back saying the BJP and the YSRC should be ashamed of raising the issue which had nothing to do with him.
“First of all, nobody from the airlines has ever met Naidu, nor did he do any favour to them, let alone brokering any deal. Secondly, Air Asia does not operate flights to any part of AP. And thirdly, many people talk about Naidu and his influence. So, what can CBI find against him?” an official said.
