YSRCP Accuses CM Naidu Of 'Political Vendetta' Over Arrest Of Former Bureaucrats In Liquor Scam Case

YSRCP leaders accuse Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu of political vendetta after the arrest of two former bureaucrats linked to the Rs 3,200-crore liquor scam. Tensions rise as SIT probes the previous YSRCP regime.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in a rally (IANS)

Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) has reacted sharply to the arrest of two former senior bureaucrats on charges relating to the alleged Rs 3,200 crore liquor scam, and accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of starting a campaign of political revenge against officials associated with the previous government.

On Friday night, the state's Special Investigation Team (SIT) took into custody retired IAS officer Dhanunjaya Reddy and former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Krishna Mohan Reddy after grilling them for hours. Both were employed during the outgoing YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP regime.

YSRCP Senior leader and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, B Satyanarayana, attacked the arrests, accusing that "Chandrababu Naidu is resorting to political vendetta, targeting even retired officials to destroy the administrative texture of the state."

In a statement, Satyanarayana said that the arrests were made on the basis of "fabricated evidence" and "no concrete proof has been given until now." He called the action a "dangerous attack on democratic institutions" and cautioned of long-term effects for bureaucratic morale and institutional autonomy.

Supporting these claims, YSRCP MLA G Srikanth Reddy remarked that the state's TDP-led NDA government was taking political vendetta to "alarming levels," further stating that incumbent and former IAS and IPS officials were being "harassed" without reason.

Former Minister Merugu Nagarjuna and other senior YSRCP leaders seconded this view, calling the arrests politically motivated and cautioning that such an action would be a disconcerting precedent.

The TDP government remained mute on these charges. The SIT has argued that the arrests are just a part of a broader probe into fiscal malpractices and kickbacks in connection with liquor purchases and sales during the YSRCP's rule.

The move is likely to further escalate political tensions in Andhra Pradesh as the new government starts its term with allegations of abuse of probe agencies.