Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkataramanna, who resigned following his arrest by the CBI in the disproportionate assets case related to Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy, on Thursday maintained that he signed the relevant files only at the behest of the then Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
"As a minister, I had to follow my leader’s directives. Accordingly, I signed the files related to Vanpic Ports Project," Mopidevi said in his resignation letter sent to Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy.
"I always trusted the party and the leader (YSR) and discharged my duties. YSR got the files signed in presence of his secretary. If the relevant note files are perused by media or anyone else, my innocence will be proved. But the CBI has alleged that there were certain discrepancies in GO No 29 (related to grant of certain exemptions to Vanpic). The truth will come out in the investigation," Mopidevi pointed out in the letter.
He expressed confidence that he would come clean and get to re-join the state Cabinet and serve the people.
PTI
