-Write letters to Assembly Speaker and Council Chairman
-TDP rally led by Lokesh outside House
-Shocking lab reports on ‘fatal’ J-brands
-Pay Rs 25 lakh ex gratia to bereaved families
AMARAVATI: TDP MLCs and MLAs led by national general secretary Nara Lokesh took out a rally outside the Assembly in protest against the Government’s refusal to order a judicial inquiry into ‘hazardous’ cheap liquor brands.
The TDP legislators slammed the Government for selling J-brands of cheap liquor that contain ‘poisonous chemicals’ that cause acute toxicity and eventual death. However, the ruling party was trying to divert public attention in the name of Pegasus spyware and such non-existent issues.
The Telugu Desam lawmakers wrote separate letters to the Assembly Speaker and the Council Chairman, urging for a detailed debate on hazardous chemicals and liquor deaths. They submitted lab reports, which showed how J-brands were creating serious health hazards leading to oral, dermal and other bodily complications.
The TDP MLCs said that the AP cheap liquor brands contain toxic chemicals like Volkenin, Pyrogallol, Benzoquinone, Scoparone, Caprolactam and Dimethoxycinnamic Acid. For example, Celebrity brand brandy contains Volkenin which causes chronic toxicity, mental confusion and also death due to cyanide poisoning.
Expressing concern, the TDP legislators said deep chemical analysis reports gave shocking results on five J-brands – Green Choice, Celebrity, Royal Simha, Champion and Old Timer. A social activist got the analysis done at Chennai-based SGS India lab. These five J-brands were found containing Volkenin, Pyrogallol, Benzoquinone, Scoparone, Caprolactam and Dimethoxycinnamic Acid.
The TDP MLCs and MLAs termed it as shocking that the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) filed 1,129 cases and arrested 677 persons in raids held for just five days from March 10 to 14. These raids were conducted only after the TDP stuck to its demand for debate on liquor deaths. The TDP was ready to prove that J-brands and illicit liquor caused the death of innocent people and destroyed their families.
The Telugu Desam legislators demanded Rs. 25 lakh ex gratia to each and every family which had lost their breadwinner to the hazardous liquor menace. These toxic liquor brands were available only Andhra Pradesh and not sold in any other State in the country. In CM Jagan Reddy’s own assembly constituency, over 300 illicit liquor cases were filed since January, 2021, which showed the gravity of the situation.
The TDP MLCs advised the Chief Minister to resign from his post, owning moral responsibility for the death of hundreds of innocent people. Former DGP Gautam Sawang had said there was no Pegasus in AP but still the Government deliberately appointed a House Committee only to divert attention. The CM misled the House by saying there was no illicit liquor in the State.
The TDP legislators said as per lab reports, the toxins in J-brands would cause irritation, drop in blood pressure, rapid respiration, rapid pulse, dizziness, headache, stomach pains, vomiting, diarrhoea, twitching and convulsions. Some chemicals cause cough, sore throat, skin redness, eye redness and pain.
