Asking people to observe self-regulation amid COVID-19 lockdown, TDP president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday said that people should not "fall victim to the bad decisions of the (state) government".
Naidu asked all sections of the society to discuss and debate how YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government "hastily reopened liquor outlets and arbitrarily hiked prices without taking necessary precautions for the health security of the people," read a statement.
Addressing a virtual press conference here, the TDP chief praised the people for diligently following the lockdown, as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for over 40 days in a disciplined way.
"The world is still scared about rising infections. There is no clarity yet on when the virus vaccine will be available. Self regulation and caution are needed the most. You have observed discipline for 40 days. For the sake of your families and for your children's future, do not fall victim to the bad decisions of the government now," he said, referring to crowds standing at liquor shops despite rising infections.
Naidu slammed the government for lacking sincerity in strictly implementing the zoning restrictions as a result of which people from red zones thronged liquor outlets in green zones posing the risk of spreading virus there, the statement added.
Stating that while 'elderly' Chief Ministers in Kerala and Karnataka were taking utmost care of people's health, Naidu said the 'childish acts' of Andhra Chief Minister were posing multiple dangers to the poor families whether it be related to their health or financial situation.
Naidu strongly opposed the state government referring to the Centre's clearance for liquor outlets, saying that the Centre had also asked for classifying red zones taking districts as units but Andhra Pradesh has not done this. He said that it would be only convenient for Andhra Pradesh to hike liquor prices by 75 per cent in just two days under the pretext of following some other states. Bad decisions taken elsewhere need not necessarily be followed since the health and security of the people should be paramount for any government.
The TDP leader stated that YSRCP did not care to listen to the cries of poor women who were now suffering domestic harassment from their fathers and husbands who were taking away all their money to buy liquor. Because of steep price hike, the poor workers are spending all their money on liquor now. The sudden opening of liquor shops had caused violent clashes leading to fatalities, domestic violence and even suicides, he stated.
Naidu also recalled how a girl expressed her disappointment over losing all the happiness that they enjoyed for 40 days as her father became uncontrollable once liquor shops were reopened suddenly.
The TDP chief stressed the need for door delivery of essential commodities in containment zones by assigning distribution to designated individuals while conducting more tests as a precautionary measure.
( With inputs from ANI )