-One more died due to Jangareddygudem illicit liquor
-CM and Ministers making contradictory statements
-CM should resign for misleading House
AMARAVATI: TDP National General Secretary Nara Lokesh on Wednesday asked whether Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy would call the latest demise of Jangareddygudem resident Varadarajulu as a natural death.
Lokesh said Varadarajulu’s wife was clearly saying that her husband became mortally ill and finally succumbed only after he drank illicit liquor. It was a fact that Varadarajulu took illicit liquor in Jangareddygudem and came to Guntur General Hospital for treatment where he succumbed.
Addressing a press conference along with other party MLCs, Lokesh said the Chief Minister was running away from holding a debate on the ongoing liquor deaths in the House. Like cowards, the CM and his Ministers were creating confusion by making contradictory statements. While Jagan Reddy was saying all fatalities were natural deaths, the Minister was saying four to six deaths were caused by illicit liquor.
Nara Lokesh asserted that if they had any values, the YCP Government and CM Jagan Reddy should resign immediately. The Chief Minister should resign for misleading the Assembly and for betraying the people. The privileges notice has been given against him for making false statements in the House.
Lokesh called it unpardonable that Jagan Mohan Reddy was bent on increasing his liquor income regardless of the non-stop deaths of weaker sections. The TDP would continue its agitation till the Government would give Rs. 25 Lakh ex gratia to each of the 26 victims’ families. Also, a judicial inquiry should be ordered to bring out the truth.
The TDP MLC asked how the CM could tell lies when the officials concerned were saying that 18,300 litres of illicit liquor was destroyed. The YCP Ministers were wrong when they compared hooch tragedies with the Godavari pushkarams mishap. When the Polavaram boat mishap claimed 53 to 54 lives, the TDP did not demand the CM’s resignation but only urged for a fair compensation.
Lokesh recalled how Jagan Reddy rushed to Visakhapatnam on a flight when the LG Polymers gas tragedy occurred. Though it was a private company, the CM announced Rs. 1 Cr ex gratia to the bereaved families. The Government’s bad policies were clearly responsible for the ongoing illicit liquor deaths but the CM was not ready to give Rs. 25 Lakh ex gratia.
Lokesh asked whether Jagan Reddy showing this discrimination because the victims of illicit liquor were weaker sections people. The post mortem report was also saying Varadarajulu died due to illicit liquor. Even then, the ruling party leaders would not accept their mistake. They had killed their own babai and then tried to portray it as a ‘heart attack’.
TDP MLCs Prabhakar and Deepak Reddy said that the SEB officials filed 33 illicit liquor cases in Jangareddygudem in the past three days and arrested 22 persons. Across the State, over 1,129 cases were booked and 677 arrested. How could the CM mislead the House? The TDP was ready to provide details of addresses and reasons for the death of illicit liquor victims in Jangareddygudem and other places.
