Tadepalli (Andhra Pradesh), Sep 19 (IANS) Former Andhra Pradesh Minister Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) on Saturday accused the TDP-led coalition government of using the alleged liquor scam as a political tool to target former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and divert public attention from what he termed its failures on key governance issues.
Addressing the media at the YSRCP central office, Perni Nani said the government was attempting to shift focus away from the non-implementation of the Super Six promises, the plight of drought-hit farmers, alleged irregularities in DSC recruitment, illegal liquor sales, and the concerns of students and unemployed youth.
Questioning the progress of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, he said the investigation had been underway for nearly two years without any recovery of funds.
“TDP leaders initially described it as a Rs 1 lakh crore scam. The figure later came down to Rs 44,000 crore, then Rs 33,000 crore, and now Rs 3,000 crore. What has the SIT achieved after two years? The investigation is continuing like a never-ending television serial,” he remarked.
Perni Nani further alleged that Satyaprasad, who was earlier named as an accused in the case, was now being projected as an approver to build a fresh narrative against Jagan Mohan Reddy.
According to him, the statements attributed to Satyaprasad were based on hearsay and lacked direct evidence.
“When did Satyaprasad meet Jagan? Where did the alleged transactions take place? Where was the money recovered?” he asked, demanding that the government explain why an accused was neither arrested promptly nor prevented from securing bail before being turned into an approver.
Seeking greater transparency in the liquor trade, Perni Nani also demanded details on liquor-shop tenders, the proliferation of belt shops, unauthorised liquor sales, and what he described as inflated pricing.
He challenged the government to clarify where its promised quality liquor was available at the announced price of Rs 99.
On the issue of teacher recruitment, he called for a comprehensive inquiry into alleged DSC irregularities. Authorities, he said, should verify TET scores, merit rankings and caste certificates of newly appointed teachers and compare the latest recruitment list with the 2018 DSC selections.
Referring to the Tirumala Laddu controversy, Perni Nani claimed that a recent Enforcement Directorate statement had brought the facts into the public domain.
He said Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu should clarify his previous allegations and explain why the issue of the sacred prasadam was allegedly used for political purposes.
–IANS
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