Naidu nails Jagan’s lies

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday compared YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy with Pablo Escobar as the latter continues to behave like the Colombian drug lord and strongly condemned the ‘lies’ uttered by the former CM over his now-cancelled Tirumala visit episode.

“I don't know for what reason he (Jagan) had to avoid his Tirumala tour, but he was claiming as if he was prevented and issued notices. I am asking you straight. Have you been given any notices? Did anybody ask you not to go there?” the CM asked.

The notice, the CM said, was sent to him saying that there was no permission to hold any rally or meeting. This was necessitated as the YSRCP had mobilized a large number of people to join him in his visit.

Naidu said every religious place has its traditions and customs and whoever wishes to visit a place of worship should respect the norms. He said one may be secular but that does not give anyone right to violate the rules of other religion or hurt the sentiments of the people of that religion.

“If he had violated in the past, it does not give him the right to repeat it. Such people are unfit to be in politics. It also means that he has violated the oath he had taken to protect the Constitution and work accordingly and should be punished for that as well.

No person is greater than the traditions and customs,” Naidu said.

Naidu also took strong objection to the comment of Jagan that Dalits were not being allowed into the temple. “Who said Dalits are not being allowed? Don’t use Dalits for political advantage,” he said.

Referring to the charge of Jagan that there was no evidence of adulteration of ghee and that the EO had never said so, Naidu asked Jagan to explain why he had gone in for reverse tendering and changed all tender conditions when Y V Subbareddy was the TTD chairman.

The CM said eight tankers of ghee had come from AR Dairy and ghee from four tankers was consumed. Following complaints from devotees, the ghee of the remaining four tankers was sent to NDDB for tests and the reports were in public domain.

He questioned why Jagan did not order inquiry into the desecration of temples during his regime. Idols were stolen from the Durga temple, the idol of Rama was beheaded, rathams were burnt and he remained a mute spectator. The NDA government is duty-bound to protect the sanctity and sentiments of all religious places and there would be no compromise in it, he added.