YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a strong attack on Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for his new liquor policy, stating that he is turning Andhra Pradesh into a hub for liquor mafias and private syndicates and vowed to lead a people’s movement against these policies if they are not immediately corrected.
Taking to the social media platform ‘X’, Jagan stated that Naidu’s policies are driving a massive surge in illegal profits at the expense of the people. He said Naidu is privatizing government-run liquor shops and handing them over to his allies, which has led to skyrocketing liquor prices well above the Maximum Retail Price (MRP). He pointed out that, while 14 out of 20 distilleries were approved during Naidu’s rule, none were sanctioned under YSRCP’s governance, highlighting a stark contrast in policy approaches.
Jagan further stated that Naidu’s ministers and MLAs are using coercive tactics to control the liquor trade and are collecting commissions to manipulate the market. He stated that a syndicate has been formed to inflate prices and generate illegal profits, benefiting Naidu’s close associates. He criticized Naidu’s liquor policy for lowering the quality of alcohol while making it more widely available across the state. Jagan stated that Naidu’s administration prioritised boosting sales and receiving bribes from distilleries over protecting public health.
Jagan pointed out that YSRCP had put strict rules on liquor sales, reduced the number of liquor shops, and closed down belt shops control the market. He said Chandrababu Naidu has been undoing these changes, warning that it would lead to uncontrolled liquor sales and could bring Andhra Pradesh back to the 2014-19 period, when the state was known as “Liquor Pradesh”. He also highlighted the loss of 15,000 jobs in government liquor shops due to Naidu’s privatization efforts, questioning the Chief Minister’s claims of creating jobs and caring for the state’s welfare.
