Is Spurious Liquor the Largest Scam in the Country?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Spurious liquor is a major health risk.
- Political accountability is crucial.
- The scale of the scam is alarming.
- Public demand for a CBI investigation is growing.
- Internal disputes among political leaders have exposed the racket.
Visakhapatnam, Oct 10 (NationPress) The president of the YSR Congress Party’s women’s wing, MLC Varudu Kalyani, has labeled spurious liquor as the most significant scam in the nation.
In a fierce critique of the TDP-led coalition administration, she accused it of plunging Andhra Pradesh into a crisis of counterfeit liquor.
Speaking to reporters, she claimed that under Chandrababu Naidu's governance, everything has become adulterated—ranging from drinking water and hospital medicines to children's meals, with liquor being the most perilous.
“During the leadership of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Andhra Pradesh was celebrated as Vidya Andhra and Vaidya Andhra. However, it has now devolved into Madhya Andhra Pradesh, where one out of every three liquor bottles sold is spurious. TDP leaders have turned the brewing of counterfeit liquor into a cottage industry,” she asserted.
She highlighted this issue as the biggest scam in the country, referencing the Mulakalacheruvu incident where authorities seized 17,000 liters of counterfeit liquor valued at Rs. 1.75 crore.
Kalyani alleged that TDP leaders, constituency in-charges, and their relatives are operating factories near Vijayawada and Eluru, with the counterfeit operations extending to Visakhapatnam. “Excise officials have validated TDP’s involvement, yet instead of prosecuting the offenders, the government punished a female CI who brought it to light,” she remarked.
She called for a CBI investigation, recalling that YSRCP MP Mithun Reddy has previously contacted Union Home Minister Amit Shah about this issue. Kalyani also criticized Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan for his silence despite his past opposition to liquor.
In another statement, YSRCP leader and former Minister Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) accused Chandrababu Naidu and his party of hypocrisy, double standards, and shielding hardened criminals.
Nani claimed that driven by greed, the TDP father-son duo has committed numerous offenses, while the Excise Department is astonished by the extent of counterfeit liquor manufacturing.
Licensed distilleries are now facing illegal competition from operations like Mulakalacheruvu, with earlier seizures in Amalapuram, Parawada of Anakapalli, and Nellore indicating the widespread nature of the racket.
Popular brands are being counterfeited, with franchises implicated in Eluru, Repalle, and Amalapuram all traced back to the Mulakalacheruvu hub, which has supplied liquor to Ibrahimpatnam. This racket only came to light due to internal disputes among TDP leaders over profit sharing.
Nani questioned why ministers from areas where counterfeit liquor was discovered have stayed silent, why the Prohibition and Excise Minister has not responded, and why Lokesh, who is usually vocal on Twitter, is now quiet. Even Chandrababu, who is quick to comment on trivial matters, has remained mute.