Somu Veeraju takes a nasty dig at KTR
Veeraju claimed that his remarks on providing liquor at Rs 50 per quarter bottle had been “deliberately distorted and taken out of context
KAKINADA: BJP Andhra Pradesh state president Somu Veerraju launched a vitriolic peronal attack on Telangana minister K.T. Rama Rao who had reacted with sarcasm to the former's promise of providing cheap liquor at `50 if elected to power.
Veerraju told the media at Rajamahendravaram on Friday that Rama Rao should know his father K. Chandrashekhar Rao "drinks right up to 3 am." He said he was saying this, "since KTR made sarcastically comments on me."
The BJP leader said that some families want to rule the nation and states with dynasty politics, and the Chandrashekar Rao family was one of them. "KCR, KTR and Kavitha are members of dynastic politics," Veerraju said.
He said that the former chief ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav, N. Chandrababu Naidu and leaders like M.K. Stalin of Tamil Nadu, Y.S.Jagan Mohan Reddy in AP and Chandrasekhar Rao want to play dynastic politics.
Veeraju claimed that his remarks on providing liquor at Rs 50 to Rs 70 per quarter bottle had been been “deliberately distorted and taken out of context,” especially by Rama Rao.
He claimed that he had only pointed out that the YSRC government was "sucking the blood" of those who drink liquor by selling it through government outlets at very high prices. People in the low income groups in particular were suffering. His statement that a BJP government would price liquor at low rates should be seen, Veerraju said.
"Ideally, prohibition would be desirable. If that is not possible, the weakness of people should not be exploited by the government to get more revenue," the BJP leader said.
Veerraju demanded that the state government rename the King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam either Sardar Gowthu Lachanna or Tenneti Viswanatham. King George had left the country seven decades back, he said. He said that the name of Jinnah Tower in Guntur should be changed immediately.
Asked about the Sir Arthur Cotton associated with the Dowleswaram barrage, Veerraju said that it was constructed by a famous engineer named Veeranna and his name be also given importance on par with Sir Arthur.
He said that if the BJP came to power in the state, it would reduce the prices of rice, cement, onion, tomato, potato among others, and also give minimum support price to the farmers.