Amaravati, Oct 12 (NationPress) In a bold move, former minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader R.K. Roja has called for an urgent CBI investigation into the notorious spurious liquor mafia that has shattered families throughout Andhra Pradesh.

Speaking to reporters in Nagari, she claimed that the evidence surrounding the spurious liquor issue implicates Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his son, Minister Nara Lokesh, as key orchestrators.

Roja emphasized that the rampant illegal liquor production could not occur without the backing and political protection from the government.

She pointed out that the manufacture of spurious liquor has surged across the state over the past 16 months since the NDA coalition took power.

Her statements were backed by excise department data indicating a 21% increase in cases related to spurious liquor, ganja, and drug-related offenses during this timeframe. Instead of addressing the issue, Chandrababu and the TDP are accused of engaging in diversion tactics by mislabeling those arrested as YSRCP affiliates to shield TDP members.

Roja demanded the immediate resignation of Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra for his inability to avert the fake liquor crisis and for misleading the populace. She also called for a criminal investigation into Principal Secretary Mukesh Kumar Meena, asserting that his involvement should be scrutinized for administrative shortcomings and potential collusion.

Furthermore, the YSRCP leader disclosed that the TDP has recruited international liquor dealer Jayachandra Reddy, who owns four liquor factories in Africa, to implement the Africa model of illicit liquor trade in Andhra Pradesh. She revealed that this explains why TDP granted him the Tamballapalle ticket and subsequently kept him as constituency in-charge, claiming that convicted criminals and liquor traffickers were employed by TDP to operate this illegal enterprise.

Roja appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an immediate CBI inquiry to ensure justice for the families devastated by spurious liquor. She urged women statewide to unite in YSRCP’s campaign demanding the closure of all belt shops and permit rooms and accountability for those responsible for the fatalities caused by toxic liquor.

Meanwhile, YSRCP General Secretary MVS Nagi Reddy criticized the coalition government for its alleged total failure in the agriculture sector, noting a significant crisis in cultivation.

At a press conference at the YSRCP Central Office in Tadepalli, Nagi Reddy lamented that the decline in agricultural production and government neglect has plunged countless farmers and agricultural workers into distress.

He reported a drastic decrease in the total cultivated area in Andhra Pradesh, citing that during YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s five-year rule, an average of 32.94 lakh hectares was cultivated each kharif season. However, in the last two years under coalition governance, this has fallen to merely 28.19 lakh hectares, resulting in a loss exceeding Rs 3,000 crore in agricultural employment and production value.

Nagi Reddy attributed the government's withdrawal of free crop insurance to significant losses for farmers affected by drought and floods. Key crops, including paddy, chili, tobacco, mango, onion, and tomato, have been severely impacted, yet the government has failed to provide necessary relief.

He recalled that during Jagan's administration, all farmers consistently received timely input assistance, price stabilization funds were established, and even tenant farmers were supported.