Jagan Mohan Reddy a 'sticker Chief Minister; YSRCP luring & looting via land scheme: Naidu

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and former CM N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday termed Andhra Chief Minster Jagan Mohan Reddy as a "sticker Chief Minister" for allegedly renaming the welfare programmes introduced in TDP's tenure.

'A sticker Chief Minister'

In an official statement, the Telugu Desam Party chief called Reddy a 'sticker Chief Minister', stating that he wishes to take credit of schemes introduced during his tenure. The former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said the YSR Congress Party renamed the 'Annadata Sukhibhava' as Rythu Bharosa, promising to give Rs 12,500 per farmer.

However, Naidu claimed that the amount was reduced by Rs 5,000 after YSRCP came to power. On Friday, the TDP chief had given a call to the people to act against the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government for "illegal sand mining and destruction of mangroves" in the last one year.

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"The wanton felling of mangrove forests at Kakinada and indiscriminate sand mining were examples of YCP rule's destructive activities. A large number of trees were destroyed in a radius of many kilometres around LG Polymers following the gas leak tragedy," Naidu said in a statement.

He stressed that adequate steps were needed to revive and protect the greenery. Cornering the state government over Visakhapatnam gas leak tragedy, Naidu said, "Victims were dying weeks after the poisonous gas leak at LG Polymers in Visakhapatnam. Instead of taking strong measures to prevent pollution, the YCP regime was encouraging the destruction of the environment in the surroundings of populated areas." 

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The former Andhra Pradesh CM also slammed the ruling YSRCP leaders for allegedly "luring and looting" by collecting commissions from the poor families in the name of distribution of free house sites. He said different rates were being fixed at Rs 30,000, Rs 60,000 and up to Rs 1.5 lakh to sanction these house sites while lesser amounts would be collected only if the beneficiaries have the blessings of YSRCP local leaders.

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Naidu, in a series of tweets, strongly objected to YSRCP leaders' "looting spree" by collecting different amounts of commissions in different villages and areas without concern for the people. "In every assembly segment, hundreds of crores worth scams were taking place in the name of house sites. A fact-finding committee has reported that Rs 400 crore fraud was committed in the 'aava' (low-lying) lands acquisition," Naidu said.

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The TDP chief further alleged that lands not worth even Rs 7 lakh per acre were being bought by the government at Rs 45 lakh to Rs 70 lakh with the margin amounts going into the pockets of YSRCP leaders."

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(With ANI inputs)