Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday likened former chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy to Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. During a session in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, Naidu released a White Paper and remarked, "I am the senior-most politician in the country and I have never seen a situation like it was in Andhra when Jagan was in power. There was only one person who can compare to what happened in Andhra, drug lord Pablo Escobar."
He elaborated on Escobar’s notorious reputation, stating, "Pablo Escobar is a Colombian drug lord, a narco-terrorist. He turned politician and then started his cartel to sell drugs. He earned $30 billion at that time, which is worth $90 billion now. He was arrested in 1976 and in 1980 he became the number one richest drug lord in the world."
Naidu alleged that Jagan’s aspirations mirrored Escobar's in terms of accumulating wealth. "One can become richer by selling drugs as well. What was the aim of the former chief minister? Tata, Reliance, and Ambani have money, and he aspires to become richer than them. Few have needs, few have greed and few have mania, and these maniacs do these kinds of things."
He criticized the law and order situation during Jagan's tenure, claiming Andhra Pradesh had become the "Ganja capital" of the country. "Ganja is easily available in every single village in Andhra Pradesh now. Has the former chief minister addressed the issue even once during his tenure?" Naidu asked. He urged the youth to avoid drugs and promised decisive action to tackle the problem.
Naidu also accused YSRCP leaders of terrorizing people while in power. He referenced the 2022 murder of YSRCP MLC Ananta Satya Udaya Bhaskar's driver as indicative of the deteriorating law and order situation. He recounted how Ananta Bhaskar allegedly murdered his driver and then staged the scene to look like an accident.
Moreover, Naidu claimed that over 300 people from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes faced atrocities under the YSRCP government. He accused the former administration of targeting TDP leaders, filing numerous cases against them, including 17 against himself.
Additionally, Naidu criticized the YSRCP government for stifling media freedom. "Cases were slapped on them, and media personnel were dragged to police stations," he said, noting that several reporters were harassed during that time.
