Political Storm Erupts Over Andhra Pradesh Liquor Case Arrests

Senior YSRCP leader Jogi Ramesh and his brother were arrested for their alleged involvement in the production and sale of spurious liquor in Andhra Pradesh. The arrests, under the Excise and Prohibition Acts, were called illegal and vindictive by YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of political misuse of power.

Senior YSRCP leader Jogi Ramesh, alongside his younger brother Jogi Ramu, faced arrests by the Excise Department in connection to the alleged manufacture and distribution of spurious liquor in Andhra Pradesh. The brothers were apprehended early on Sunday, with legal proceedings quickly initiated in a local court.

The arrest ensued after a comprehensive crackdown on the illicit liquor trade revealed an elaborate operation spread across several state locations. Prompted by this discovery, the arrests were backed by the Andhra Pradesh Excise Act, 1968, and the Prohibition Act, 1995. According to officials, the charges involve illegal production, transport, and sale of counterfeit alcohol.

YSRCP supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy denounced the arrests as politically motivated, accusing Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of abusing power to implicate opposition leaders. Reddy claimed the government's actions were a diversion from mishaps like the Kasibugga temple stampede and are intent on concealing controversial factions within Naidu's political allies.

(With inputs from agencies.)