Jagan Accuses CM Naidu of Fostering Fake Liquor Trade in Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati: Former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday accused Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of turning Andhra Pradesh into a hub for spurious liquor.Citing a recent incident in Mulakalacheruvu, Annamayya district, where TDP leaders allegedly ran a counterfeit liquor factory, Jagan claimed that the liquor mafia has flourished under Naidu’s leadership. “This is not just illegal trade; it is organized crime that endangers lives and robs the state treasury,” he posted on X .

Jagan alleged that Naidu dismantled government liquor shops and replaced them with a syndicate-controlled private network, where TDP leaders oversee belt shops, illegal permit rooms, and even counterfeit liquor units. Profits from these activities, he claimed, are shared systematically from top to grassroots levels.“News reports confirm that one out of every three liquor bottles sold in the state is spurious — this shows the scale of danger created by TDP,” Jagan said. Referring to the CAG report, he noted that excise revenue for the first five months of FY 2024–25, when liquor sales were through government outlets, was ₹6,782.21 crore. In FY 2025–26, under TDP’s unregulated model with belt shops and private permit rooms, revenue rose only to ₹6,992.77 crore, a mere 3.10% increase, while natural growth should have been around 10%.He added that counterfeit liquor rackets have emerged across North Andhra, Godavari districts, and Rayalaseema, but investigations have been deliberately diluted. In Mulakalacheruvu, despite evidence implicating a senior TDP leader, police allegedly tried to shift blame to outsiders, shielding the real culprits.

“This entire racket operates with the knowledge, direction, and protection of Naidu and his network. Public health and lives are being sacrificed for the illegal profits of one party,” Jagan asserted.

He demanded that CM Chandrababu Naidu be held accountable for turning Andhra Pradesh’s liquor sector into a hub for fake liquor, belt shop mafias, and systematic loot. “For the sake of personal wealth, you are gambling with public health and robbing the state treasury,” Jagan said.