Arrack deaths are 'murders by govt', says Chandrababu Naidu

N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday called on the families of 18 people who died allegedly after consuming illicitly distilled liquor

Opposition TDP has blamed the Jagan Mohan Reddy government for the Jangareddygudem “hooch tragedy” that has reportedly killed over 20 persons in the past few days.

On Monday, former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu visited the families of the victims in the West Godavari district town.

Naidu accused Jagan of “letting alcohol flow freely in Andhra Pradesh where he had promised to implement prohibition during the election campaign.” The TDP leader charged that the alcohol business is running with the patronage of the YSRCP leaders.

The TDP which has announced Rs 1 lakh support to the families has demanded the state to offer Rs 1 crore compensation to each. “The women are telling me that saarayi (hooch) has killed their men. This government is threatening to stop the pension etc benefits if they tell the truth,” Naidu alleged.

The issue had also rocked the state assembly on Monday, with the TDP MLAs demanding a discussion on the incident.

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Natural deaths

Speaking in the house, CM Jagan accused the opposition of deliberately portraying the deaths as because of illicit liquor consumption, “when most of the deaths in Jangareddygudem were due to natural reasons.”

The CM said that they had launched a massive crackdown on illicit liquor makers and transporters and that a special police wing is booking thousands of cases.

The TDP legislators led by party general secretary Nara Lokesh took out a march outside the assembly on Monday in protest against the “YSRCP government's failure preventing illicit liquor deaths in the state.”

TDP MLAs and MLCs holding liquor bottles and placards raised slogans calling the hooch deaths as "government murders". They accused CM Jagan of being "responsible for the 25 liquor deaths in the past few days” while condemning “the ruling party's attempts to portray Jangareddygudem arrack deaths as "natural."

"The high rates of the cheap liquor brands were the reason for the continuing hooch tragedies. Over 18 succumbed to spurious liquor at Jangareddygudem in West Godavari and at least three deaths were reported at Doddi in neighbouring East Godavari district," the TDP legislators said.

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