Tadepalli, May 17: Former Minister Sake Sailajanath has launched a scathing critique of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's deceptive practices and systemic failures in his liquor policy. Sailajanath asserted that the government has misled the public with false promises of quality liquor at low prices while fostering corruption and mismanagement in the liquor trade.
Sailajanath charged Naidu with being an "expert in liquor business manipulations," and that the privatization of liquor sales under the new policy is riddled with irregularities. "The coalition government has turned the liquor trade into a diversionary tactic to distract from its governance failures," he declared. He pointed to the unchecked proliferation of belt shops in every village, challenging the government to disprove their existence. "We will show you the reality, there isn’t a single village without a belt shop," he said, emphasizing the government’s failure to regulate illegal liquor sales.
Sailajanath noted that distilleries were granted licenses during Naidu’s previous tenure, and local TDP leaders have been given undue stakes in the liquor trade. He accused the government of operating a "liquor scam" under its watch, dismissing claims against YSRCP leader Jagan Mohan Reddy as baseless. "Where is the evidence? Has Jagan signed any documents? The Supreme Court itself has condemned forced signatures and third-degree tactics," he stated, referencing judicial oversight.
Sailajanath also criticized the government’s fiscal mismanagement, pointing to daily revenue deficits and extravagant expenditures, such as the proposed Rs. 170 crore helicopter purchase. "In one year, what has this government achieved? It thrives on creating fear and vendetta politics instead of delivering governance," he said. He urged Naidu to rise above personal grudges and govern impartially, questioning why a CID case against Naidu has stalled.