Vijayawada, July 19 (IANS) The YSR Congress Party has strongly condemned the arrest of Lok Sabha MP and Party floor leader P.V. Midhun Reddy, calling it a clear case of political vendetta by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

YSRCP leaders and former ministers Botsa Satyanarayana, Perni Venkatramaiah (Nani), Ambati Rambabu, Merugu Nagarjuna, and party general secretary G. Srikanth Reddy expressed serious concerns over the misuse of power to target opposition leaders.

They said, in a statement, that the arrest made after a full day of interrogation in the so-called liquor scam case shows how far Chandrababu is willing to go to suppress dissent. The leaders noted that such actions will not last long and that the public continues to support YSRCP more strongly than ever.

They warned that the ruling party cannot stop YSRCP by using fabricated cases or forced arrests. The leaders further said that the liquor scam is entirely based on fabricated evidence and forced confessions.

They recalled that between 2014 and 2019, it was Chandrababu Naidu’s government that committed several irregularities in liquor sales. Now, to divert attention from those cases, a false narrative has been built, and arrests are being made based solely on statements taken under pressure.

The party leaders clarified that during the YSRCP government, the liquor policy was transparent and handled directly by the state. The number of liquor shops was reduced, and belt shops and permit rooms were removed.

They vowed to continue standing with the people and fighting against such political conspiracies with courage and determination.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested Midhun Reddy on Saturday after questioning him for nearly seven hours at the SIT office here.

Midhun Reddy is accused number four in the case, registered last year after the TDP-led NDA came to power in the state.

His arrest came a day after the Supreme Court dismissed his anticipatory bail petition. Earlier, the Andhra Pradesh High Court had also dismissed his petition.

SIT reportedly found large-scale irregularities and fund misappropriation in the liquor policy implemented during 2019-24.

Midhun Reddy’s arrest came hours after the SIT filed a preliminary chargesheet in the case. The SIT officials filed the 300-page chargesheet in the ACB court along with forensic lab reports.

–IANS

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