NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday unleashed a no-holds barred attack on his predecessor YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy comparing the former chief minister to Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar as he alleged drug menace in the state in the last five years under the YSR Congress rule. Naidu also called Jagan Mohan Reddy a maniac who aspired to become richer than Tata, Reliance and Ambani.
Releasing a white paper on law and order and ganja (marijuana) prevalence, Naidu claimed that he never saw such a situation like how it was when Reddy ruled.”Only one person can be compared to what happened in Andhra, and it is Pablo Escobar,” he said in assembly, in an apparent reference to the drug menace. The CM alleged that the southern state had emerged as ganja capital between 2019 and 2024 and vowed to crack down on it.
“Pablo Escobar is a Colombian drug lord, he is a Narco terrorist. He turned politician and then started his cartel to sell drugs. He earned $30 billion at that time, now it’s $90 billion worth. He was arrested in 1976 and in 1980 he became the number one richest drug lord in the world. One can become richer by selling drugs as well. What was the aim of former Chief Minister (YS Jagan)? Tata, Reliance, Ambani have money and he aspired to become richer than them. Few have needs, few have greed and few have mania and these maniacs do these kinds of things,” Naidu said in the state assembly.
Earlier, releasing a white paper on the excise policy adopted by the YSR Congress government, Naidu had said that a CID probe would soon be on irregularities in liquor sale during the rule of previous government and also announced that all cheap brands of liquor will be banned in the state.
“In the name of liquor, loans were raised for a period of 10 to 25 years,” Naidu had said and asserted that an operation to cleanse the excise department will be taken up soon. The chief minister had also alleged that the liquor policies introduced by the previous YSRCP regime caused a loss of Rs 18,860 crore to the state exchequer in last five years.
Naidu’s attack comes as Jagan Mohan Reddy is in Delhi protesting at Jantar Mantar against alleged political violence and “worsening law-and-order situation” in Andhra Pradesh. The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has dismissed YSR Congress Party’s allegations as “fake drama”.
The YSRCP leader, who backed the NDA on several important legislations in Rajya Sabha in the last 5 years, got unexpected support of several opposition INDIA bloc leaders. Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi, TMC’s Nadimul Haq, and AIADMK’s M Thambidurai were among those who condemned the alleged attacks on YSRCP workers in Andhra Pradesh.
Name-changing game
Meanwhile, the change of regime in Andhra Pradesh has led to another round of changing names of institutions and schemes in the state. NTR Health University which was changed to YSR Health University by the previous government is now again NTR Health University. The NDA government has renamed Dr YSR University of Health Sciences (YSRUHS) located in Vijayawada city as NTR University of Health Sciences (NTRUHS).
Health university was the brainchild of former chief minister and TDP founder late NT Rama Rao. NTR, as the late leader was popularly known, had inaugurated the university in 1986. After the death of NTR in 1995, then chief minister Chandrababu Naidu had named the university after the legendary actor-turned politician. However, the YSRCP government in 2022 changed the name of the university to Dr YSRUHS after late chief minister YSR.
The new government has also changed the names of other schemes which had YSR or Jagan as prefixes.
Jagananna Vidya Deevena has become Post Matric Scholarship. Jagananna Vasathi Deevena is renamed Post Matric Scholarships. Jagananna Videshi Vidya Deevena will now be called Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi (scholarships for overseas education).
Jagananna Civil Services Protasahakam is renamed Incentives for Civil Services Exams scheme. YSR Kalyana Masthu has become Chandranna Pelli Kanuka (financial help for marriage of poor girls) while YSR Vidyonnathi has become NTR Vidyonnathi (financial help for poor students to continue education).
DISHA mobile application is now called women safety app while Nadu-Nedu has become School Infrastructure Improvement programme.
After assuming office as chief minister last month, Chandrababu Naidu had signed five files including the one to enhance social security pension while restoring the name of the scheme as NTR Bharosa.
NTR Bharosa was changed to YSR Pension Kanuka after YSRCP came to power in 2019.
Naidu also signed another file to re-open Anna Canteens, which were shut by the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government.
As NTR, who was father-in-law of Naidu, was affectionately called ‘Anna’ (elder brother), the earlier TDP government had used the name for canteens, which were set up to provide meals at Rs 5 to the poor and the middle class.
All 204 canteens were shut in August 2019 as YSR Congress alleged corruption in the scheme.
(With inputs from agencies)
Releasing a white paper on law and order and ganja (marijuana) prevalence, Naidu claimed that he never saw such a situation like how it was when Reddy ruled.”Only one person can be compared to what happened in Andhra, and it is Pablo Escobar,” he said in assembly, in an apparent reference to the drug menace. The CM alleged that the southern state had emerged as ganja capital between 2019 and 2024 and vowed to crack down on it.
“Pablo Escobar is a Colombian drug lord, he is a Narco terrorist. He turned politician and then started his cartel to sell drugs. He earned $30 billion at that time, now it’s $90 billion worth. He was arrested in 1976 and in 1980 he became the number one richest drug lord in the world. One can become richer by selling drugs as well. What was the aim of former Chief Minister (YS Jagan)? Tata, Reliance, Ambani have money and he aspired to become richer than them. Few have needs, few have greed and few have mania and these maniacs do these kinds of things,” Naidu said in the state assembly.
Earlier, releasing a white paper on the excise policy adopted by the YSR Congress government, Naidu had said that a CID probe would soon be on irregularities in liquor sale during the rule of previous government and also announced that all cheap brands of liquor will be banned in the state.
“In the name of liquor, loans were raised for a period of 10 to 25 years,” Naidu had said and asserted that an operation to cleanse the excise department will be taken up soon. The chief minister had also alleged that the liquor policies introduced by the previous YSRCP regime caused a loss of Rs 18,860 crore to the state exchequer in last five years.
Naidu’s attack comes as Jagan Mohan Reddy is in Delhi protesting at Jantar Mantar against alleged political violence and “worsening law-and-order situation” in Andhra Pradesh. The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has dismissed YSR Congress Party’s allegations as “fake drama”.
The YSRCP leader, who backed the NDA on several important legislations in Rajya Sabha in the last 5 years, got unexpected support of several opposition INDIA bloc leaders. Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi, TMC’s Nadimul Haq, and AIADMK’s M Thambidurai were among those who condemned the alleged attacks on YSRCP workers in Andhra Pradesh.
Name-changing game
Meanwhile, the change of regime in Andhra Pradesh has led to another round of changing names of institutions and schemes in the state. NTR Health University which was changed to YSR Health University by the previous government is now again NTR Health University. The NDA government has renamed Dr YSR University of Health Sciences (YSRUHS) located in Vijayawada city as NTR University of Health Sciences (NTRUHS).
Health university was the brainchild of former chief minister and TDP founder late NT Rama Rao. NTR, as the late leader was popularly known, had inaugurated the university in 1986. After the death of NTR in 1995, then chief minister Chandrababu Naidu had named the university after the legendary actor-turned politician. However, the YSRCP government in 2022 changed the name of the university to Dr YSRUHS after late chief minister YSR.
The new government has also changed the names of other schemes which had YSR or Jagan as prefixes.
Jagananna Vidya Deevena has become Post Matric Scholarship. Jagananna Vasathi Deevena is renamed Post Matric Scholarships. Jagananna Videshi Vidya Deevena will now be called Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi (scholarships for overseas education).
Jagananna Civil Services Protasahakam is renamed Incentives for Civil Services Exams scheme. YSR Kalyana Masthu has become Chandranna Pelli Kanuka (financial help for marriage of poor girls) while YSR Vidyonnathi has become NTR Vidyonnathi (financial help for poor students to continue education).
DISHA mobile application is now called women safety app while Nadu-Nedu has become School Infrastructure Improvement programme.
After assuming office as chief minister last month, Chandrababu Naidu had signed five files including the one to enhance social security pension while restoring the name of the scheme as NTR Bharosa.
NTR Bharosa was changed to YSR Pension Kanuka after YSRCP came to power in 2019.
Naidu also signed another file to re-open Anna Canteens, which were shut by the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government.
As NTR, who was father-in-law of Naidu, was affectionately called ‘Anna’ (elder brother), the earlier TDP government had used the name for canteens, which were set up to provide meals at Rs 5 to the poor and the middle class.
All 204 canteens were shut in August 2019 as YSR Congress alleged corruption in the scheme.
(With inputs from agencies)