Amaravati, Oct 12 (IANS) Former minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader R.K. Roja on Sunday demanded an immediate CBI inquiry into the spurious liquor mafia that has devastated families across Andhra Pradesh.

She told media persons in Nagari that all evidence in the spurious liquor case clearly points to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his son, Minister Nara Lokesh, as the masterminds.

Roja asserted that large-scale illegal liquor production is impossible without government support and political protection.

She said spurious liquor has been manufactured across the state for the last 16 months after the NDA coalition came to power.

According to her, excise department records show that spurious liquor, ganja, and drug-related crimes increased by 21 per cent during this period. Instead of acting against the culprits, Chandrababu and TDP are using diversion politics by falsely branding the arrested accused as YSRCP coverts to protect TDP leaders.

Roja said Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra must resign immediately for failing to prevent the fake liquor tragedy and for misleading the public. She demanded a criminal investigation against Principal Secretary Mukesh Kumar Meena, stating that his role must be probed for administrative failure and possible complicity.

The YSRCP leader revealed that the TDP inducted international liquor dealer Jayachandra Reddy, who owns four liquor factories in Africa, only to implement the Africa model of spurious liquor trade in Andhra Pradesh. Roja said it is now evident why TDP gave him the Tamballapalle ticket and later retained him as constituency in-charge. Convicted criminals and liquor smugglers were appointed by TDP to operate this illegal network, she said.

The former minister appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order a CBI inquiry immediately so that justice is delivered to the families destroyed by spurious liquor. She called upon women across the state to join YSRCP’s state-wide agitation demanding the closure of all belt shops and permit rooms and action against those responsible for the deaths caused by toxic liquor.

Meanwhile, YSRCP General Secretary MVS Nagi Reddy criticised the coalition government for what he called its complete failure in the agriculture sector, stating that the state is witnessing a severe cultivation crisis.

Speaking at the YSRCP Central Office in Tadepalli, Nagi Reddy said the decline in cultivation and government negligence have pushed lakhs of farmers and agricultural labourers into distress.

He said that due to the government’s failures, the total cultivated area in Andhra Pradesh has fallen drastically. During YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s five-year tenure, an average of 32.94 lakh hectares was cultivated every kharif season. However, in the last two years of coalition rule, it has dropped to just 28.19 lakh hectares, a fall of 11.73 lakh hectares, leading to a loss of over Rs 3,000 crore in agricultural employment and production value.

Nagi Reddy said the government’s withdrawal of free crop insurance has caused huge losses to farmers hit by drought and floods. Crops like paddy, chilli, tobacco, mango, onion, and tomato suffered badly, but the government provided no relief.

He recalled that during Jagan’s administration, all farmers received input assistance on time, price stabilisation funds were created, and even tenant farmers were supported.

–IANS

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