Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Polit Bureau member Varla Ramaiah on Tuesday demanded that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy come clear on the 10 cases booked against illicit liquor brewers by the Jangareddygudem police.
Addressing the media, Mr. Ramaiah accused the Chief Minister of making misleading statements on the Floor of the Legislative Assembly.
“It is not clear if Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy is aware of the police cases booked against the illicit arrack makers,” he said.
Referring to the Chief Minister’s claim that brewing of illicit liquor in a municipality with a population of 55,000 was not possible, the TDP leader said that Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy should know that huge quantity of illicit liquor had been brewed in the densely populated Dhoolpet area in Hyderabad.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy was lying when he said that the fatalities reported from Jangareddygudem were due to natural causes, as the ruling party leaders’ colluded with the illicit liquor mafia, the TDP leader alleged.
Referring to TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu visiting the families of the hooch victims, he said, the YSRCP government seemed to be determined to protect the interests of those behind the liquor mafia.
Mr. Ramaiah said it was unwise on Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s part to make such a claim in the Assembly without trying to get his facts rights.
After promising to bring prohibition in a phased manner, the YSRCP government was now focused on increasing the excise revenue.
The TDP leader said that excise revenue had increased from ₹6,000 crore during the TDP term to ₹16,500 crore now.
