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Kurnool, Oct 26 (IANS) YSR Congress Party leader and former MLA SV Mohan Reddy directly blamed the coalition government for the Kurnool bus accident, calling it a “government massacre” caused by the illegal sale of spurious liquor.
He met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to apologize to the victims’ families, pay compensation of Rs 1 crore each and register a criminal case against Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra for his alleged role in promoting the business of belt shops and spurious liquor.
Mohan Reddy, who is president of the Kurnool district unit of the YSRCP, said police investigation revealed that the biker involved in the accident had consumed spurious liquor purchased from a belt shop in Lakshmipuram, and his drunken driving led to the bus fire that killed 20 innocent passengers.
“If liquor had not been sold illegally that night, those 20 people would not have lost their lives. These are not accidents, these are murders committed because of the greed of this government,” he said in a statement.
He criticized the government for turning Andhra Pradesh into ‘Madhya Pradesh’ where liquor flows freely day and night. “The belt shops are running like festivals with colorful lights, while women are afraid to pass by them. The state once known as Annapurna has become a liquor hub under Chandrababu’s rule,” he said.
Citing the units exposed in Mulakacheruvu, Ibrahimpatnam, Repalle, Anakapalle, Nellore and Eluru, Mohan Reddy said the TDP leader himself was behind the manufacturing of spurious liquor. He alleged, “Despite the seizure of thousands of spurious liquor bottles, no shop was sealed, no culprit was arrested, because the government itself is the supplier.”
He said that one out of every four liquor bottles sold in the state is fake, adding that the TDP leadership has looted more than Rs 5,000 crore through this racket. “If the government cannot pay compensation from its budget, it should pay from that illegal loot,” he said.
Recalling past tragedies, Mohan Reddy said, “From the Godavari Pushkar stampede to the deaths at the Kandukur public meeting, people have lost their lives before due to Chandrababu Naidu’s negligence. Now, 20 more people have died because of his liquor policy.”
Mohan Reddy said, “This is not luck, it is the result of corruption and criminal negligence. The government should take responsibility, publicly apologize and pay Rs 1 crore to each bereaved family.”
–IANS
MS/PGH