VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Fisheries Mopidevi Venkataramana’s comments against TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday that TDP leaders and activists might have sent coronavirus sleeper cells to rural areas in the State to spread Covid-19 to defame the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government has created a political furor.
In a press conference on Monday, the minister took exception to TDP chief’s comments against the State government and the Chief Minister criticising the efforts being made to contain the spread of coronavirus as ‘ineffective’ and ‘inept’. He said it is far better than what Naidu did as the Chief Minister during natural disasters in previous TDP regime.
“All he did was to use natural disasters for publicity and getting political mileage. Naidu who spread his joli seeking donations from people to ‘save Amaravati’ when the Chief Minister announced three capitals for the State, failed to ask NRIs and even his own party activists to contribute for bailing out the State from the economic crisis, which in fact was his legacy,” the minister said.He advised the TDP chief to refrain from resorting to such cheap politics.
Taking serious exception to Mopidevi’s comments, former minister Kollu Ravindra described them as most heinous, irresponsible and politically motivated. “If anyone is responsible for the spread of coronavirus in the State, it is YSRC leaders,” he said, while terming YSRC more dangerous than Covid-19.
“It is unfortunate that a person in a responsible position has made such irresponsible comments. Instead of focusing on how best to tackle the situation in the State, ministers are resorting to politics. Covid-19 cases in Guntur are due to YSRC MLA. Similarly, the spread of virus in Kurnool and even in Srikakulam is due to YSRC leaders. No one knows how the virus is spreading in Vijayawada, Guntur and Kurnool,” he said.
Stating that even officials dealing with Covid-19 cases are becoming patients, the TDP leader wanted to know if Mopidevi makes such comments in Red Zones. He blamed processions and rallies held by YSRC leaders in Nagari, Srikalahasti and other places as one of the reasons for the spread of the virus.
“An MP’s family gets positive cases and four officials in Raj Bhavan test positive. It shows inept handling of the pandemic by the YSRC government,” the former minister said.