VIJAYAWADA: YSRC national general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy on Wednesday accused State BJP chief Daggubati Purandeswari of working as a TDP leader and making all-out efforts to bail out Telugu Desam chief N Chandrababu Naidu from the corruption cases. Purandeswari, when she was in Congress, also worked for the interests of Naidu. “Now, she is making an unnecessary issue out of the State liquor policy,” he observed.
The BJP reacted sharply to the charges of Sajjala and asked YSRC leaders to refrain from making personal attacks on Purandeswari. Speaking to reporters, Sajjala said, “Purandeswari is acting like the president of TDP rather than the BJP. Her recent visit to Delhi seems to be for getting Naidu out of the cases. As a family member, she can do that and she had even stood by the side of Naidu when her father NT Rama Rao was backstabbed. All those who backstabbed NT Rama Rao, are still with Naidu.’’
On Purandeswari’s criticism of the State liquor policy, Sajjala said she should find the difference between the present and the past. “Purandeswari should know that the licences issued when Naidu was in power, are still valid and the same brands are being sold. We have not given any new licences or permitted new liquor brands. The only difference is that the sales have come down, but the revenue of the government has increased,’’ Sajjala explained.
Giving a strong counter, BJP official spokesperson Lanka Dinakar dared Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for a CBI inquiry into the liquor policy. “You are making allegations against our leader instead of coming clean on corruption in the liquor policy you have brought in against your poll promise of imposing total prohibition in the State,’’ he said. Dinakar claimed that the government is now planning to introduce digital payments at liquor outlets after Purandeswari’s complaint to the Centre.