Amaravati, Feb 13 (IANS) Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has accused the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government in the state of trying to silence the Opposition.

He alleged on Thursday that the state government was deliberately denying YSRCP recognition as the principal opposition to prevent its voice from being heard.

Jagan Mohan Reddy interacted with MLAs and MLCs at the central office of the YSRCP and issued clear directions on how members should function during the Assembly and Council sessions.

The former Chief Minister said that though YSR Congress is the only Opposition in the House, adequate time is not being given to the party, forcing them to raise people’s issues before the media.

He added that the YSRCP had strength in the Council and members must use that platform effectively.

He asked them to study every subject in depth, come fully prepared and speak with facts and evidence.

Only strong preparation would make the government answerable, he said, while urging them to highlight the hardships faced by the public and question every failure without fear.

Referring to the Tirupati laddu issue, the YSRCP President said attacks and cases against several leaders were the result of questioning the state government.

He added that the movement of rejected ghee tankers back into the system had taken place after the change of government and that explanations must come from those in power.

He said established testing procedures existed in Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) and recalled that tankers had been rejected in the past as well.

Calling the current TDP-led state government a ‘chain of scams’, Jagan Mohan Reddy said that valuable land in Visakhapatnam had been handed to relatives of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

He urged YSRCP members to fight hard in the Council, work sincerely and stay connected to the people.

Time would pass quickly and committed party workers would receive due recognition in the future, he said.

Earlier, MLC Lella Appi Reddy said the state government is refusing to grant opposition status to YSRCP because it fears being questioned in the Assembly and Council, and cannot withstand the people’s voice being raised on public issues.

He alleged that governance in the state is being run in a “cash–Lokesh–suitcase” style and asserted that YSRCP would strongly confront the state government’s failures and unjust practices in the Legislative Council.

He said the YSRCP would raise issues ranging from the unjust arrest of Ambati Rambabu to what he called false cases against YSRCP leaders.

On the Tirumala laddu issue, he added that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu hurt the sentiments of Hindu devotees and must apologise.

He said that during the YSRCP government, ghee tankers that did not meet quality standards were sent back and that proper records exist for the same.

He added that even investigative findings indicated that substandard ghee supplies occurred during Chandrababu Naidu’s earlier term as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

–IANS

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