Amravati: Former Andhra Pradesh (AP) home minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Nimmakaya Chinnarajappa on Thursday took a dig at the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) over liquor and ganja menace.
In the AP assembly, Chinnarajappa expressed his concerns over the growing liquor and ganja menace. He mentioned the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, who gave a statement on how ganja smuggling in AP has increased by three times in the past three years, adding further that over 1.06 lakh kg ganja was seized from smuggling gangs in AP in 2020 as against 33,900 kg in 2018. There were reports about increased ganja smuggling from AP to all other states in the country now.
Chinnarajappa stated that AP was now disgraced on the floor of the parliament due to the government’s failure to tackle the drug menace. He went on to say, “The ruling YSRCP leaders were making easy money out of ganja smuggling. They were just following in the footsteps of Jagan Reddy, who promised prohibition but now getting Rs. 20,000 Cr revenue from liquor in the state.”
Addressing a press conference Chinnarajappa said, “Union Minister of State had given alarming figures about the ganja smuggling in AP. In 2018, over 175 persons were convicted in the ganja smuggling cases,” adding further that only 22 persons were arrested in connection with ganja smuggling in 2020.
He further claimed that Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government was protecting the drug peddling gangs to make money. Speaking of the law and order situation, the TDP leader said, “police officers were not keeping required checks and also not filing cases against ganja smugglers. The police collusion with the ruling party gangsters was causing huge damage to the society.” Expressing concerns over suicides he said, “Over 385 ganja-related suicides took place in AP in 2020 as against just 196 in 2018.”
He was of the view that Vizag, which was once the most peaceful city has now turned into a ganja supplier to all other states. Social and family harmony was badly hit in AP because of ganja and liquor gangs.