Amaravati – Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the president of the YSR Congress Party and former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, called the arrest of his party ally Jogi Ramesh a “sham” on Sunday. The move comes after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) seized fake liquor from alleged factories linked to the ruling government and detained Ramesh.
Jagan Mohan Reddy said the arrest is illegal and politically motivated. He accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of fleecing the state with “spurious liquor” and using his influence to target YSR Congress members. “If you’re not involved in the fake liquor you’re just fabricating charges. But you’re simultaneously arresting people you’ve protected,” he warned.
The former chief minister highlighted that the seized liquor plants were discovered during Naidu’s 18‑month tenure. He claimed that many of the arrested, including an MLA from the ruling party, had ties to Naidu’s circle. “Your private liquor shops, permit rooms, and workers—those are the real outlets. You’re the producer and the seller, yet you’re trying to smear us,” Jagan told his opponents.
Jagan also criticized the government for using arrests to distract from other failures, such as the Kasibugga temple stampede and farmers’ losses after Cyclone Montha. He pointed out that Ramesh had filed a High Court petition demanding a CBI inquiry into the fake‑liquor issue, only to be detained the next day. “How could you fear a CBI investigation if you’re innocent?” he asked.
Senior YSR Congress leaders—including Chelluboina Srinivasa Venugopalakrishna, Meruga Nagarjuna, Perni Nani, Ambati Rambabu, Kurasala Kannababu, Gadikota Srikanth Reddy, Margani Bharat, and TJR Sudhakar Babu—also condemned the arrest as a blatant political vendetta. They said the case was “political blackmail” rather than a legitimate investigation, noting that the main accused had allegedly been forced to name Ramesh.
Ramesh had publicly denied the allegations, even swearing before the Kanaka Durga Temple. Yet, C.T.P. leaders have not responded, leaving the YSR Congress party to rally against what it calls “abuse of power” by the coalition government.
Source: ianslive
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