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Political Betrayal, Economic Damage Define Jagan Rule: Ashok Babu
TDP State General Secretary Parchuri Ashok Babu strongly condemned the YSR Congress Party for releasing a 16-page booklet accusing the TDP of political betrayal. Addressing the media at NTR Bhavan on Wednesday, Ashok Babu dismissed the publication as a desperate stunt to overshadow the TDP’s virtual Mahanadu. He stated that the people of Andhra Pradesh had already delivered the ultimate "backstab" to Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy through their votes in the 2024 elections, limiting his party to a mere 11 seats.
Ashok Babu ridiculed Jagan's refusal to attend the state assembly unless granted the Leader of Opposition (LoP) status, comparing the former chief minister’s behavior to a kindergarten student throwing a tantrum. "In a democracy, power is given to those who do good, and the opposition bench is for those who make mistakes. Jagan didn’t even secure opposition status, which reflects the sheer brutality of his five-year Tughlaq rule," he said. The heavily touted 'Navaratnalu' welfare schemes, he added, turned out to be heavy burdens rather than gems for the public.
Tracing the state's decline, Ashok Babu noted that Jagan’s administration began with the vindictive demolition of the ‘Praja Vedika’ building. It quickly spiraled into mass unemployment for 40 to 50 lakh construction workers due to a botched sand policy. During the pandemic, the YSRCP government allegedly embezzled Rs 1,300 crore in central funds meant for Covid-19 victims, issuing fake 'natural death' certificates to divert the Supreme Court-mandated Rs 50,000 ex-gratia payments.
The TDP leader accused Jagan of engineering unprecedented economic anarchy, leaving behind a staggering Rs 10 lakh crore state debt and Rs 2.26 lakh crore in unpaid dues. These pending bills ranged from employee salaries and farmers' crop payments to Aarogyasri funds and schoolchildren's snacks. To fund his schemes, Jagan mortgaged government properties and pledged the state’s future liquor revenues for 15 years. Furthermore, his "reverse tendering" policy severely damaged the Polavaram project, making it necessary to completely rebuild the diaphragm wall today.
Ashok Babu also highlighted a severe breakdown of law and order during Jagan’s tenure, citing National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data showing more than 30,000 missing women. He alleged that Andhra Pradesh was turned into a drug hub, with 60,000 acres of illegal ganja cultivation and international drug containers routed to Vijayawada. He pointed to 15 massive scams - larger than historic national scandals - ranging from Tirupati prasadam procurement to the murder of Jagan's uncle, Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy. With CBI investigations into the murder reaching their final stages, Ashok Babu warned that arrests surrounding the Tadepalli palace are imminent.
Unlike Jagan's vindictive regime, Ashok Babu clarified that the current alliance government is proceeding strictly according to the law. He stated that while the government has enough grounds to jail 3,000 YSRCP leaders and complicit IAS and IPS officers immediately, it is relying on solid evidence, SIT reports, and proper charge sheets rather than political vendettas. He urged the public to ignore Jagan's fabricated booklets and advised the former chief minister to face reality instead of threatening police officers and dreaming of an impossible political comeback.
