YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a scathing attack on the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh, accusing Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of overseeing a "mafia era" in the state. During a press conference on Friday, Jagan claimed that businesses and mining operations are forced to pay "taxes" to MLAs and the Chief Minister to function.
In a biting critique, Jagan alleged that while his previous government implemented Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT), the current administration is operating under a system of "DPT"—standing for dochuko (loot), panchuko (share), and tinuko (eat). He argued that corruption is rampant, with illegal profiteering taking precedence over transparent governance.
"There is such an inefficient government in the state that they are not able to introduce a full fledged budget in the Assembly, fearing that people will demand the super six promises made (by TDP) during the polls," the YSRCP chief said, pointing out that Andhra Pradesh has been functioning under a "Vote on Account" budget for an unusually long time, which is unprecedented in India.
Jagan also claimed that Naidu's administration uses media influence to obscure facts and manipulate public perception. He specifically criticized the sand mining policies under Naidu's regime from 2014 to 2019, stating that sand mining operations were conducted right next to Naidu’s residence in Undavalli. He contrasted the sand policy with his own government's approach, which he described as more transparent.
"Under our government, the sand policy followed a transparent process through the Central Government’s e-tendering system. The price for sand mining was set at Rs 475 and they had to pay Rs 375 to the government through e-tenders. This system earned the government more than Rs 750 crores.," Jagan said. He further questioned the current government's claims of providing free sand, alleging that the TDP administration has created an artificial scarcity to drive up prices.