SIT on spurious liquor case is a cover-up drama: Former Ministers Narayana Swamy and Kakani Govardhan Reddy

Tadepalli, Oct 12: Former ministers K. Narayana Swamy and Kakani Govardhan Reddy have criticised Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on the spurious liquor case, calling it a mockery of justice. They said the SIT was set up only to water down the case and bury the truth, just as previous SITs formed under Chandrababu were used for political vendetta and to shield the guilty.

In a statement released to media, the former ministers said large-scale production and sale of spurious liquor is taking place across the state under the supervision of TDP leaders. Despite strong evidence and arrests of those linked to the ruling party, Chandrababu had remained silent for weeks and suddenly announced a SIT probe only to mislead the public. They alleged that the liquor mafia operates under the watch of Chandrababu (“Pedababu”) and Nara Lokesh (“Chinababu”), and that forming an SIT against a racket that thrived during his own rule is laughable.

They recalled that after the Molakalacheruvu tragedy, no raids were conducted on wine shops, permit rooms, or belt shops, exposing how deeply the mafia has spread under the coalition government. They said that during Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure, government-managed liquor shops and strict QR code tracking left no room for adulteration, but Chandrababu reversed all such measures and handed over liquor sales to private hands and his party network.

The former ministers demanded a CBI inquiry into the entire spurious liquor racket, arrest of TDP leaders involved, dismissal of the Excise Minister, and departmental action against responsible officials. They also demanded that CBI probe the alleged kickbacks received by Nara Lokesh through Kilaru Rajesh in coordination with Jayachandra Reddy. Only then will people believe Chandrababu’s claims of innocence, they said.