YSRC-TDP in slugfest over deaths in West Godavari district of Andhra

While the opposition party alleged that the deaths were caused by consumption of illicit arrack, the government rubbished the claim and said the TDP was distorting even natural deaths.The issue, rocking the Legislature on Monday, led to the suspension of five TDP members from the Assembly while Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy claimed the deaths were natural.The 18 deaths these people TDP are talking about did not happen at a single place.

Death of some 18 people under mysterious circumstances over the past few days in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh has sparked off mud-slinging between the ruling YSR Congress and the main opposition Telugu Desam Party. While the opposition party alleged that the deaths were caused by consumption of illicit arrack, the government rubbished the claim and said the TDP was distorting even natural deaths.

The issue, rocking the Legislature on Monday, led to the suspension of five TDP members from the Assembly while Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy claimed the deaths were natural.

"The 18 deaths these people (TDP) are talking about did not happen at a single place. They were spread over Jangareddygudem municipality, which has a population of about 54,880 people. Assuming a death rate of two per cent, for various reasons, we have to remember that 60 persons die here every month," the Chief Minister said.

It was not right for the TDP to portray natural deaths as those caused by the illicit liquor, Jagan said.

He, however, admitted to illicit arrack-brewing still on in the State but it was the case even during the previous TDP regime.

The Chief Minister read out a list of the measures his government had taken in the past two years to curtail liquor consumption.

"We have no need to protect anyone brewing illicit liquor. We have established the Special Enforcement Bureau to crackdown on such business. The SEB has so far registered 13,000 cases on illicit liquor," he said.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister (Health) A K K Srinivas, who hails from West Godavari district, said some of the deceased were drunkards.

"One person did not eat anything for a week while consuming liquor and died. His family members themselves revealed this. But still people are politicising this," Srinivas alleged.

The opposition and a section of the media were trying to create apprehension in people with false narratives, he said.

Meanwhile, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu visited Jangareddygudem and spoke to the families of the victims. While announcing an ex-gratia of Rs one lakh each to the kin of the deceased, he demanded the State government to give Rs one crore to each family.

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