PNS|Vijayawada
In a sharp rebuttal to former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s recent press conference, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav accused him of making baseless claims and revealing his fear over the ongoing investigation into the liquor scam that allegedly took place during his tenure. Addressing the media, Yadav questioned Jagan’s move to cancel digital payments for liquor sales. “If there was no wrongdoing, why was digital payment scrapped? Why were manual transactions enforced?” he asked, alleging that the policy shift aimed to divert government revenue into private hands under the YSRCP regime.
Referring to the statements given by key accused individuals such as Vasudeva Reddy, Vijaysai Reddy, Raj Kasireddy, Dhanunjay Reddy and Krishna Mohan Reddy, Yadav said Jagan’s attempt to downplay their depositions indicated his growing unease.
“The former CM is clearly unsettled by the ongoing revelations,” he remarked.
Mocking Jagan’s claim that liquor companies did not make profits under his government, Yadav asked whether distilleries operated at a loss merely for public welfare. He also dismissed Jagan’s assertion that his liquor policy improved public health, citing a significant rise in liver, kidney and neurological disorders from 2018 to 2024.
Yadav strongly criticised Jagan’s remark describing June 4 – the day election results were announced – as “Betrayal Day”, calling it undemocratic. He reminded Jagan that the electorate had delivered a decisive mandate against his administration.
The Minister went on to accuse Jagan of hypocrisy, pointing out that he had earlier targeted senior police officials and former CM Chandrababu Naidu, but was now portraying himself as a victim of political vendetta.
Responding to Jagan’s criticism of the state’s revenue growth under the current government, Yadav said even a 3% increase was a sign of recovery from the alleged financial mismanagement during the YSRCP rule.
Concluding, Yadav stated that Jagan’s emotional remarks invoking divine justice reflected his anxiety, and asserted that no individual, regardless of position, is above the law.
