*Debt, deception, betrayal: YS Jagan tears into CM Naidu's governance*

Tadepalli, May 21: Former Chief Minister and YSRCP President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a scathing attack on Chandrababu Naidu government, stating that the last two years have become a symbol of broken promises, rising corruption, suppression of dissent, and governance driven entirely by propaganda instead of public welfare. People are struggling even to sustain their daily livelihoods while the government has abandoned its responsibilities and betrayed every major promise made before elections. “Babu surety – cheating guarantee” is being proven true every single day and governance in the state has collapsed into “Jungle Raj.”

Chandrababu Naidu has nothing substantial to show the people after two years in office and is instead relying on media management and manufactured narratives to divert public attention. The growing support for the MAVIGAN Capital Corridor has clearly unsettled the government because MAVIGAN represents a practical and financially sustainable alternative with infrastructure already in existence, including Machilipatnam Port, Vijayawada International Airport, railway connectivity, national highways, universities, and medical colleges. Unlike Amaravati, which requires massive spending from scratch, MAVIGAN can function as a capital region from day one with limited investment focused mainly on connectivity and expansion.

The Amaravati model is pushing Andhra Pradesh into a dangerous debt trap. Government estimates themselves indicate that basic infrastructure alone could cost nearly Rs.2 lakh crore, while loans and commitments have already crossed Rs. 47,387 crore, with another Rs.9,200 crore being spent from the state exchequer. The same companies that received contracts before 2019 are once again securing projects through tailor-made tenders, while the cost of just five Secretariat buildings has escalated to Rs.10,665 crore,  taking the SFT cost to Rs. 20,427. The total projected expenditure for Secretariat, Assembly, and High Court buildings has already crossed Rs.14,092 crore even before interiors are added, with SFT costs expected to rise to Rs.30,000–40,000. At the same time, valuable Amaravati plots are being allotted to those close to the ruling establishment while ordinary farmers are pushed into low-lying areas. Questions on these irregularities are being met with intimidation, diversion politics, selective media campaigns, and misuse of police machinery against opposition voices.

YS Jagan criticized the worsening law-and-order situation in Andhra Pradesh, stating that the last two years have witnessed authoritarian governance, fabricated cases, political vendetta, and suppression of democratic voices. He questioned why TDP Tamballapalle in-charge Jayachandra Reddy and Janardhan Rao have not been arrested, while former minister Jogi Ramesh was falsely implicated and jailed for 83 days. Even after his release, Jogi Ramesh’s residence was attacked with acid bottles in the presence of police personnel, while the accused secured immediate station bail. YS Jagan also condemned the treatment of farmers in Mamillapalli village of Ponnur constituency, where TDP MLA Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar targeted farmers by falsely linking their maize stocks to YSRCP leader Ambati Murali. Despite officials initially confirming that the warehouse belonged to farmers, it was later sealed under political pressure, and cases under the SC/ST Atrocities Act were filed against 14 farmers, including five women from the Kapu community. The government is using police machinery, selective media narratives, and intimidation tactics to silence opposition voices and suppress criticism instead of addressing governance failures.

YS Jagan criticised the government for unprecedented censorship of social media by filing false FIRs and pressuring platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram to remove content exposing corruption, liquor scams, ganja networks, sand mafia activities, and irregularities linked to Amaravati. He stated that police have abandoned their real duties while drugs, adulterated liquor, and organized exploitation are spreading across the state. Women’s safety has deteriorated under the current government, contrasting it with the Disha initiative introduced during the YSRCP government.

YS Jagan strongly countered Chandrababu Naidu’s repeated allegations on “axe politics,” “gun culture,” and “murder politics,” stating that it was his own family that became victims of political violence. He questioned who was truly responsible for a culture of conspiracies, violence, and political murders, recalling the killing of his grandfather Y. S. Raja Reddy during Chandrababu’s tenure ahead of the 1999 elections, allegedly to politically isolate Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy. He also referred to the suspicious helicopter crash that killed YSR shortly after Chandrababu publicly challenged him in the Assembly, and raised questions over the murder of Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy, stating that Dastagiri, who openly claimed involvement in live television interviews, continues to move freely with police protection. YS Jagan questioned how the same lawyer, Siddharth Luthra, represents both Chandrababu and Dastagiri, and accused the government of protecting killers while targeting innocents for political gain. He further referred to the shooting incident involving Nandamuri Balakrishna, the murder of a watchman linked to that case, and Chandrababu’s political conduct following the death of Nandamuri Harikrishna. He accused Chandrababu of betraying N. T. Rama Rao and seizing both the party and its symbol through backstabbing politics. He also recalled the murder of Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga during a hunger strike for housing rights, the mysterious death of Mallela Babji after his arrest in the NTR attack case, and the killing of journalist Pingali Dasaratharam after he questioned TDP-era corruption. He asserted that while Chandrababu’s politics revolved around conspiracies, betrayals, and exploitation of deaths, YSRCP stood for values, credibility, and politics rooted in public trust.

Targeting the government over unfulfilled election promises, YS Jagan said Chandrababu Naidu has completely failed to implement the “Super Six,” “Super Seven,” and the 143 promises made before elections. He pointed out that fuel taxes have increased instead of decreasing, despite pre-election assurances. The government created artificial shortages of petrol and diesel for profiteering and even during crises the government prioritized contractors over ordinary people. He highlighted pending dues to employees, including DAs, PRC commitments, retirement benefits, medical reimbursements, and surrender leave payments, stating that government employees are owed nearly Rs.35,000 crore.

YS Jagan further stated that welfare schemes promised to women, unemployed youth, SCs, STs, BCs, and minorities have been abandoned. Free bus travel for women has been drastically restricted and warned that RTC privatization plans could jeopardize the future of 52,000 employees. The Naidu government is reducing pensions, neglecting fee reimbursement dues, and pushing poor students out of education while Aarogyasri dues to hospitals continue to pile up, severely affecting healthcare access for poor families.

He criticized Chandrababu Naidu’s recent remarks encouraging families to have more children, stating that the government has neglected education, healthcare, and welfare systems while simultaneously asking people to expand families without ensuring economic security. He said women should never be treated merely as child-bearing instruments and stressed that strong families can only emerge when women are empowered and protected.

Concluding his remarks, YS Jagan drew a sharp contrast between the YSRCP government and the present administration, stating that “Both can never be the same.” He said YSRCP’s governance focused on welfare, DBT delivery, women’s empowerment, healthcare, education, and transparent governance, while the present government survives on propaganda, debt, broken promises, and exploitation. “Babu means deception. YS Jagan means trust. Both can never be the same,” he asserted.