Today, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) accused the Telugu Desam Party-led Andhra Pradesh government of orchestrating a cover-up after an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court closed the Skill Development scam case against Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

The party said it would challenge the Vijayawada ACB court’s order in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Reacting to the court’s acceptance of the CID’s final report stating that there was “no evidence” of any scam, YSRCP State General Secretary and former Additional Advocate General Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy strongly criticised the decision.

"The skilled development case is a scam involving the state government and Siemens. The government was supposed to contribute 10 per cent of the project cost, but the money was siphoned off through shell companies," Reddy alleged.

He alleged that the CID, which had earlier filed a charge sheet implicating Naidu, was now “speaking with a double tongue” by submitting a “refer charge sheet.”

Earlier, in an official X post, the YSRCP accused the CID, which functions under the central government, of taking a “U-turn.” The post read: “CID's final report in Skill Scam: No evidence! The earlier charge sheet accused Naidu. Now, under the TDP govt, it's closed as a 'mistake of fact'. Justice sold?”

The party rejected the closure of the case as a mere “mistake of fact,” adding that the petitioner was denied access to the full records for review, amid what it described as secrecy surrounding the order and report.

Back in September 9, 2023, then-Leader of Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu was arrested over alleged fund misuse in the state-Siemens project during his tenure as chief minister. He spent 53 days in Rajahmundry Jail.

The YSRCP further claimed that the state government and Naidu appear to be acting in unison, protecting those involved, even as the Enforcement Directorate continues its investigations.