E-Paper
Chandrababu Naidu compares Jagan Reddy to ‘drug lord Pablo Escobar’
Naidu claimed during Jagan Mohan Reddy's rule, Ganja used to be easily available in every village of the state.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday compared former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy to slain Columbian narco-terrorist, Pablo Escobar. Releasing a white paper in the assembly, Naidu claimed Andhra Pradesh had become the "Ganja capital" of the country under Reddy's rule.
Lambasting Reddy over the alleged law-and-order problems during his tenure, the TDP chief said he had never seen a situation like that in Andhra Pradesh in his decades-long career.
"There was only one person who can compare to what happened in Andhra, drug lord Pablo Escobar," Naidu said, per India Today.
“Pablo Escobar was a Colombian drug lord, he was a narco-terrorist. He turned politician and then started his cartel to sell drugs. He earned 30 billion Dollars at that time. He was arrested in 1976 and in 1980 he became the number one richest drug lord in the world. One can become richer by selling drugs as well. What was the aim of the former chief minister (YS Jagan)? Tata, Reliance, and the Ambanis have money. He wanted to become richer than them. Few have needs, few have greed and few have mania and these maniacs do these kinds of things,” he said, per ANI.
Naidu claimed during Jagan Mohan Reddy's rule, Ganja used to be easily available in every village of the state.
Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was killed by Colombian special forces in 1993.
Naidu also accused Jagan Mohan Reddy of targeting TDP leaders by filing cases against them.
Jagan Mohan Reddy's protest
On Wednesday, YSRCP President Jagan Mohan Reddy attacked the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government, claiming there had been lawlessness in Andhra Pradesh.
"We stand before this country in Delhi and we question whether democracy is prevalent or not in Andhra Pradesh, where the word democracy means equitable justice and today in the state. Equitable justice is denied and democracy stands limping," the former Andhra Pradesh chief minister said.
Also read: Colombians grapple with a big problem: Late drug baron Pablo Escobar’s wandering hippos
"Within 45 days of the government coming into power, you have a situation where more than 30 people are murdered and assaults are taking place, which led to attempts of murder and several properties vandalised. Where you have 490 government properties, they have also been vandalised. You have more than 1000 cases where assaults are taking place," Reddy told reporters.
Reddy protested against the state government at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav also joined him.
With inputs from PTI, ANI
