VIJAYAWADA: Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav sharply criticised former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s over two-hour press conference on Thursday, terming his remarks incoherent and reflective of fear over ongoing investigation into liquor procurement and sales irregularities during the previous YSRCP regime.
With several of Jagan’s aides facing allegations and legal scrutiny, he asserted that the YSRCP chief’s statements reflect anxiety about his fate.
The Health Minister highlighted Jagan’s failure to justify discontinuing digital payments for liquor purchases in favour of cash payments, a move that allegedly enabled YSRCP leaders to divert revenue, bypassing government accounts.
He dismissed Jagan’s claim that liquor manufacturers operated at a loss for public welfare as ‘absurd’, questioning the logic behind such a narrative, and accusing him of losing credibility.
He also mocked Jagan’s ‘small line-big line’ argument, which downplayed irregularities. Jagan’s selective defence of certain associates while questioning others’ credibility further exposed his double standards, he said.
Responding to Jagan’s criticism of cases against IPS officers under the ‘Red Book Constitution’, he countered by questioning Jagan’s own actions, including the 53-day detention of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, and harassment of retired IPS officer AB Venkateswara Rao.
He condemned Jagan’s decision to label June 4, 2024—the day of the massive electoral verdict against YSRCP—as ‘Betrayal Day’, calling it an anti-democratic stance that disregards the people’s mandate. Satya Kumar demanded that the YSRCP chief retract this statement, emphasising that the verdict ended five years of misgovernance.
Mentioning Jagan’s claim that his liquor policy improved public health, Yadav presented stark data. He refuted Jagan’s claim of only 3% revenue growth under the coalition, crediting the NDA government for overcoming YSRCP’s economic mismanagement. Jagan’s nervous demeanor when questioned about the liquor scam, coupled with his reliance on divine intervention, underscores his fear, he said.