BJP’s Andhra Pradesh unit president Daggubati Purandeswari has dared the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government to reveal the names of the proprietors of the companies manufacturing liquor in the State by October 14 evening, alleging that most of them are taken over by the ruling party leaders through intimidation and coercion.
Addressing the media here in the morning, Ms. Purandeswari termed as false the claims of the government and the YSRCP leaders that only 18.70% of the population was consuming liquor.
It was evident from the findings of the National Family Health Survey and CRISIL, which pegged the percentage of those consuming liquor at 23.50% (1.29 crore) and 34.50% (1.80 crore) respectively out of a population of 5.31 crore, she said.
Ms. Purandeswari said that as per the BJP’s conservative estimate, around 80 lakh people consume liquor, and they spend not less than ₹200 each per day, generating approximately ₹57,600 crore annual revenue for the State exchequer.
The YSRCP leaders and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy himself should clarify on what basis they asserted that liquor sales had come down, she demanded, and insisted that liquor was freely available not only at belt shops but also at houses.
Ms. Purandeswari questioned why digital payments were not being accepted at the liquor shops when even a push-cart vendor was getting paid through platforms such as PhonePe. Clearly, the intention was to send the huge amounts of cash to the ‘Tadepalli palace’ (CM’s camp office), she alleged.
Further, Ms. Purandeswari said the liquor being sold in the State contained harmful substances causing kidney disease, liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis etc., which were ultimately causing death.
“There has been a staggering 25% spurt in the number of such cases in the hospitals. The presence of some hazardous chemicals in liquor has been established by the Chennai-based SGS Laboratory,” she added.
According to a study done by CRISIL, Andhra Pradesh had the highest consumption of liquor followed by Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.
She went on to say that former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had the courage to seek CBI inquiry into TDP leader Paritala Ravi’s murder and alleged corruption in the Hyderabad Outer Ring Road (ORR) project, and clear the air of apprehensions.
She sought to know why Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy could not rope in the CBI to probe a whole lot of scandals if he and his government had not done anything wrong.
Ms. Purandeswari said her party had absolutely nothing to do with former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s arrest.
The BJP had condemned the manner in which Mr. Naidu had been arrested as it was replete with procedural lapses. As far as Mr. Naidu’s alleged involvement in the skill development scam and other cases was concerned, it was for the courts to decide, she quipped.
