The AP police on Monday evening arrested senior TDP leader and former MLC Buddha Venkanna in connection with his comments against Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police Gowtham Sawang. The police entered into the residence of Venkanna on the pretext of seeking clarifications about his comments on the DGP. Later, they took him into their custody.

Sources said that the police and the government were particularly incensed at the daring comments that Venkanna made against the DGP and also minister Kodali Nani, in whose constituency a Casino was organized recently during the Sankranthi festivities. The police reportedly asked him about his comments on Nani and then took up the issue of his comments on the GDP..

Venkanna had said that the DGP has now become the Director of Jagan Party. He said if Nani tried to attack Chandrababu Naidu’s residence, he would only go back as a corpse. The police are using these comments to arrest Venkanna. During the questioning by the police, Venkanna admitted that he did make those comments and that he had no regrets about it.

The TDP accused the AP police of being vindictive. It said the police were acting as the agents of the ruling YSRCP. There were some tense moments when the police arrested Venkanna. TDP supporters gathered in significant numbers and tried to stall the arrest. They chanted slogans against the police and the YS Jagan government.

TDP MLC Buddha Venkanna has blamed the Jaganmohan Reddy Government’s ‘undemocratic and anarchic’ regime for the unusual steep fall in real estate values in Visakhapatnam ever since its announcement as the State’s future administrative capital by the Chief Minister.

Mr. Venkanna asked YCP leaders to feel ashamed of how the people started withdrawing their investments in the port city out of fear of the ruling party mafia. Nowhere in the world such a peculiar situation has arisen where land rates collapsed in a city which was promoted as the future capital by the Government.

The TDP MLC said the whole Andhra Pradesh was getting crushed under the present misrule contrary to the previous Chandrababu Government whose policies caused an overall economic boom right from Ichchapuram to Anantapuram in all parts of the State. While Coronavirus was proving to be a big danger for the rest of the world, it is Jagan Reddy misrule which is proving to be a greater danger than even the pandemic in Andhra Pradesh.

Mr. Venkanna deplored that CM Jagan Reddy seemed to be asking for Special Category Status not for AP but for himself so that all illegal assets cases against him would be dropped and no central agency comes anywhere near him. Why did not the Chief Minister ask for Special Status for AP in his latest meeting with Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan. People gave YCP 22 MPs but now the ruling party was behaving as if its priority has changed for using Special Category Status demand for getting relief from assets cases.

Mr. Venkanna told the Government that its bid to shift Amaravati Capital City would not be easy like changing existing colours and applying YCP flag colours on schools, water tanks, walls of burial grounds and each and every public place. Jagan Reddy’s design to eliminate and uproot TDP would not also work considering its previous record of overcoming such challenges since 1983 itself. Kodela Sivaprasada Rao ended his life unable to face ugly persecution by Jagan misrule and TDP would fight back the political vendetta of YCP with greater determination and unity.

Telugu Desam Party MLC Buddha Venkanna has accused YSRCP of collecting huge commissions from distilleries. The too much J-tax collections are ruining the state. He slammed the reopening of liquor shops by the YSR Congress Party government. CM Jaganmohan Reddy was crippling the state just as the rakshasas have ruined the yagnas in olden times. The whole country is suffering with Corona. Temples, shrines, schools and colleges have been closed for the last 45 days. At this time, it is surprising that the Red Zones also were opened with liquor shopes for collecting J-tax.

Mr Buddha Venkanna alleged that the CM, who came to power requesting for a single chance, is now opening up liquor stores and playing with the lives of the people. Even essential commodity shops under lockdown can be opened upto 9 am only. But it is surprising to keep liquor stores open all day.

He expressed surprise to see queues up to kilometers without the minimum physical distance in front of liquor shops. Talking about the price hike, he said cases were being booked against farmers if they are selling for more than the market price. But why has the government hiked 25 per cent on liquor prices? Is this not robbing people? No state has opened any liquor shops in the south. The adjoining Telangana chief minister declared that the liquor shops would not be opened. But by opening liquor shops in our state, the chief minister’s sense of integrity over the lives and property of the people is understandable. Workers and poor were not employed for a month and a half. But opening up liquor stores now by the government is to exploit the poor.

Venkanna said that until yesterday, MLAs, Ministers and MPs spread the corona by holding public meetings and gatherings. The chief minister is taking it to another level by opening liquor stores in the state.

“Due to the lockdown, the people were out of alcohol. People gave you a chance to enforce a complete alcohol ban, but you have taken it to play with people’s lives for J Tax. The chief minister had thrown the state into the deep crisis. Close liquor shops immediately. Save the lives of the people who voted for you” said Mr Venkanna.

Telugu Desam Party is asking YSRCP why it has not taken effective preventive measures if COVID-19 is a long-time disease as per CM Jagan latest realization. MLC Buddha Venkanna has expressed concern that the YSR Congress Party Government was not taking enough steps to prepare AP people for the long-drawn battle against the deadly Coronavirus epidemic. Surprisingly, Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy was simply asking people to live with the virus threat for a long time while not creating required confidence among them by taking all necessary preventive measures.

Mr. Venkanna said that if the CM was really serious about fighting the prolonged virus war, he would have come out of his Tadepalli residence to ensure proper treatment facilities at COVID quarantine centres. Persons suffering from virus symptoms were afraid to go to quarantine centres because of lack of minimum amenities there. The CM had not come out to visit and give confidence among patients being treated at the government hospital located just one kilometre from his residence.

Mr. Venkanna said that the latest statements dismissing COVID as a common fever were highly objectionable at a time when the dangerous virus was rapidly spreading in Andhra Pradesh. The YSRCP Ministers and MLAs were not doing anything to create awareness among the people. The CM’s failure was evident from how +ve cases were reported among the Raj Bhavan staff and also those of Health Minister himself. One YSRCP MP’s family members also tested positive.
The TDP MLC demanded that MP Vijayasai Reddy’s followers stop collecting donations in the name of his Pragathi Bharathi Trust in North Coastal Andhra as the industrialists and businessmen were already in losses because of lockdown. If at all relief assistance was to be asked, it should be accepted only from voluntary donors. Such donations should be collected in the name of CM Relief Fund but not private trusts. Businessmen and even big companies were being terrified because of extortion by followers of Vijayasai, who was behaving like the Chief Minister of North Coastal Andhra.