''Was Pablo Escobar His friend'': Jagan Reddy's Dig At Chandrababu Naidu

YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy whom Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu compared to Pablo Escobar, threw the ball back into the TDP chief's court on Friday when he asked mockingly if Mr Naidu had been a friend of the late Colombian drug lord.

While presenting a white paper yesterday on the law-and-order situation and the alleged drug menace in the state under YSRCP rule between 2019 and 2024, Mr Naidu had claimed that Mr Reddy had aimed at emulating Escobar.

On Friday, Mr Reddy addressed a press conference responding to Mr Naidu's allegations and asked, “Is he Chandrababu's friend that he knows his name so well? He must be. Otherwise, I don't know his name (Escobar) itself. On the other hand, Chandrababu Naidu is repetitively speaking about a particular person (Escobar)." Speaking over the alleged atrocities being committed against his party cadres since the TDP-led NDA took over the reins of power, Mr Reddy reflected on the absence of the Congress party during YSRCP's recent protest held in New Delhi over the matter. He said the Congress party should be questioned about this.

The former Chief Minister asserted that the YSRCP had invited all the parties, including the Congress and the BJP, for the protest and a photo exhibition.

He also said the Congress party should be questioned over its alleged ties with Mr Naidu and how Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is being used as a point of contact to reach Congress elders.

However, he declared that the YSRCP would work with any party it joins in fighting against the "injustices" in the state.

According to Mr Reddy, Mr Naidu allegedly has a knack of engaging in "diversion politics" using the might of the media to discredit and defame any person he wants to target.

Referring to the seven white papers released by Mr Naidu, he called them "erroneous papers" and alleged that the TDP-led government failed to convince the public that the state's debt is as high Rs 14 lakh crore, and so it was revised down to Rs 10 lakh crore.

Stressing that there is no protection for women in the state, Mr Reddy alleged that up to 12 women were raped within 45 days of the NDA government coming to power in Andhra Pradesh.

Likewise, Mr Reddy highlighted that women, farmers, students and several other sections used to receive their welfare schemes and benefits on time during his government but observed that that was not the case anymore under the NDA government.

Mr Reddy alleged that Mr Naidu is backing off from presenting a regular budget as he would be compelled to incorporate poll promises in it.

The former chief minister alleged that Mr Naidu does not have the boldness to table a regular budget, which generally is for 12 months, and noted that the TDP-led government is failing to present a budget for seven months.

"If he presents a regular budget then he has to show the fake promises he had made during polls in the regular budget. If those 'Super Six' promises do not reflect, he (Naidu) thought people will open their mouths," said Mr Reddy.

The 'Super Six' schemes include Rs 1,500 monthly pension for women in the age bracket of 19 to 59 years, 20 lakh jobs for youth or Rs 3,000 monthly unemployment aid and free bus travel for women.

Other schemes under Super Six include three free cooking gas cylinders for every household per year, Rs 15,000 to every school-going child per annum and Rs 20,000 annual financial assistance for every farmer.

According to Mr Reddy, people will wait to see if they will receive the money promised during the elections, which is allegedly making Naidu to create a fear psychosis in the state so that people will not come on to the roads to protest.

Recently, the chief minister announced in the assembly that the state budget will be presented after two months due to 'financial constraints'.

Questioning if the state is moving forward or going back 52 days after the declaration of the election results, Reddy alleged that atrocities such as murders, rapes and destruction of assets were rampant.

According to the opposition leader, victims were being booked while the police department was playing the role of a spectator under the allegedly oppressive rule of the TDP-led government, which also includes the BJP and the Janasena. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)