On Thursday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu made a controversial comparison, likening former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy to the notorious Colombian narco-terrorist Pablo Escobar. Naidu, while releasing a white paper in the assembly, alleged that under Reddy’s rule, Andhra Pradesh had transformed into the “Ganja capital” of India.
Criticizing Reddy for the purported law-and-order issues during his tenure, Naidu remarked that he had never witnessed such a situation in Andhra Pradesh in his extensive political career. “There was only one person who can compare to what happened in Andhra, drug lord Pablo Escobar,” Naidu said, according to India Today.
Naidu elaborated, “Pablo Escobar was a Colombian drug lord and a narco-terrorist. He ventured into politics and then established his cartel to sell drugs, amassing $30 billion at that time. Arrested in 1976, by 1980, he had become the world’s wealthiest drug lord. People can grow richer by selling drugs. What was the aim of the former chief minister (YS Jagan)? Prominent industrialists like Tata, Reliance, and the Ambanis have wealth. He aspired to surpass them. Some have needs, some have greed, and some have mania. These maniacs engage in such activities,” Naidu stated, per ANI.
He further claimed that during Jagan Mohan Reddy’s administration, Ganja was readily available in every village of the state. Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was killed by Colombian special forces in 1993. Naidu also accused Reddy of targeting TDP leaders by filing cases against them.
On the other hand, Jagan Mohan Reddy, the President of YSRCP, lambasted the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government on Wednesday, asserting that lawlessness prevailed in Andhra Pradesh. “We stand before this country in Delhi and question whether democracy exists in Andhra Pradesh, where the term democracy signifies equitable justice, which is currently being denied. Democracy is faltering in the state,” the former CM asserted.
“Within 45 days of the new government taking office, more than 30 murders have occurred, assaults have led to attempted murders, and numerous properties have been vandalized. Over 490 government properties have been damaged, and there have been more than 1,000 cases of assaults,” Reddy informed reporters. He protested against the state government at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, joined by Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav.
