Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu compares Jagan Reddy to Pablo Escobar – Firstpost

There was an uproar in the Andhra Pradesh State Assembly when Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu compared his predecessor Jagan Mohan Reddy to Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

The newly formed Telegu Desam Party-led Andhra government on Thursday released a White Paper in the Assembly on the excise policy formulated by the previous government. While presenting the document, Naidu said, “I am the senior most politician in the country and I have never seen a situation like this in Andhra when Jagan was in power. There is only one person who can match what happened in Andhra, the drug lord Pablo Escobar.”

Pablo Escobar was a notorious Colombian drug lord and narco-terrorist who became one of the richest criminals in history. He headed the Medellín Cartel, which dominated the global cocaine trade in the 1980s and early 1990s.

AP has become the “capital of pot”

Naidu intensified his attacks on the former chief minister, stating that under Reddy’s rule, Andhra Pradesh had become the “ganja capital” of the country.

“Ganja is now easily available in every village in Andhra Pradesh. Did the former chief minister raise this issue even once during his tenure?” Naidu said.

“I appeal to the youth not to destroy their families. We are determined to control this problem and nip it in the bud. This will happen soon,” he added.

Why did TDS publish a white paper?

Naidu told the House that Reddy’s excise policy was “fraudulent, flawed and inconsistent” and promised that his government would order the CID to initiate an inquiry into the matter.

He added that the policy not only harmed the welfare of alcohol consumers but also had a significant impact on the state’s revenue. He claimed that the state had incurred losses worth Rs 18,860 crore under the YSRCP administration.

The chief minister said that the intervention of the Law Enforcement Directorate would also be sought in connection with the alleged crime as “the sale of alcohol in government establishments was only for cash and online payments were prohibited.”