The arrest of 73-year-old Nara Chandrababu Naidu, former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, has created a political crisis in the state, triggering a power upmanship battle between two caste groups – Reddys and Kammas. The former CM and president of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was arrested in a dramatic fashion by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) on September 9 for his alleged involvement in the skill development scam. Naidu was listed as the 37th accused in the Rs 375 crore alleged scam.
Naidu’s arrest and the celebrations by YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders that followed make it appear like a case of political vendetta by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. This bitter rivalry between Naidu and Jagan marks a new chapter in the politics of the Telugu states. But the arrest of the former CM is not unprecedented.
Other former chief ministers who suffered a similar fate include AIADMK's J Jayalalithaa, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam stalwart M Karunanidhi; Bharatiya Janata Party’s Karnataka leader BS Yediyurappa; and Jharkhand politician Madhu Koda.
J Jayalalithaa was arrested in 1996 in connection with the “Colour TV scam.”
The case relates to purchase of over 45,000 television sets for distribution to panchayats, which allegedly benefitted Jayalalithaa and others to the tune of Rs 10.16 crore, and caused a loss of Rs 9 crore to the state’s exchequer. The late Chief Minister was however acquitted in the case in 2009 as the Madras High Court did not find any evidence against her.
M Karunanidhi
One of the most dramatic arrests was probably of former Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi, who was dragged out of his bed from his residence at 2 am on June 30, 2009 at the behest of the Jayalalitha-led AIADMK government. Denying him a chance to even change his clothes, the police manhandled the then 78-year-old leader while arresting him in the ‘flyover scam’. The late leader was subjected to such human rights violations even though he had not been convicted in the Rs 12 crore scam. The mistreatment of the DMK leader was documented well by television channels.
Karunanidhi was never convicted in the case. In 2007, when the DMK came to power, the police dropped the case. The present CM of Tamil Nadu and son of Karunanidhi, MK Stalin, had also been booked in the case.
In the recent arrest of Naidu, the Andhra CID too attempted a similar pattern of arrest late in the night on September 9 in Nandiyal, while he was campaigning. However, as the leader was surrounded by scores of TDP activists, the arrest was delayed for a few hours.
Former Karnataka CM Yediyurappa was arrested in 2011 when his own party was in power. He had to resign as the chief minister after being indicted by the Lokayukta court for illegal mining. Months later, he was arrested for de-notifying government acquired lands when he was the chief minister.
Yediyurappa became the first politician to be convicted by the Lokayukta court. After initially evading arrest by the Lokayukta police officials, the BJP strongman had surrendered before the Lokayukta court.
After being sidelined by the BJP, the former CM launched his own party Karnataka Janatha Paksha in 2012. In 2014, his party was merged with the BJP.
Madhu Koda, who was an independent MLA became the Chief Minister of Jharkhand in 2006 with the backing of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). It was a failed majority that paved the way for his chief ministership. His government fell in 2008, and Koda was accused of committing financial irregularities by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ED alleged that Koda took bribes for allocating coal and mining blocks during his tenure as CM.
In 2009, the same year that Karunanidhi was arrested, Madhu Kodawas also arrested for corruption and money laundering committed during his tenure as chief minister. But unlike Karunanidhi, he was convicted of criminal conspiracy, cheating, and corruption in the coal block allocation case. A 2013 report by The Times of India alleged that Koda and his associates had amassed a fortune in excess of Rs 4000 crore.
While the above-mentioned political leaders were arrested after serving as chief ministers, former prime minister Indira Gandhi was arrested by the Morarji Desai government on October 3, 1977. She was accused of criminal conspiracy and abusing power to get jeeps for her election campaign. However, the arrest lasted for just 16 hours as the magistrate did not find any substantial evidence for her arrest. She was acquitted in the case.
However, the Janata government under Morarji Desai invoked the Parliament's privilege and imprisoned her in Tihar jail for a week in 1978. In the third week of December 1978, Indira Gandhi was again arrested for the same “jeep scam”. Along with her, Sanjay Gandhi too was arrested in the case. The vindictive action by the Morarji Desai government backfired and created sympathy for Indira Gandhi, several politicians argue. Within a year and half, the Desai government fell.
With Andhra Pradesh going to elections next year, it needs to be seen if history will repeat itself in the case of Naidu. At present, Naidu is lodged in the Rajahmundry Central Jail, with some privileges like allowing home food. The arrest of the TDP president led to protests by party workers. Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan too condemned his arrest.