Time has come for Jagan government to go: Nadda

Rajahmundry (Andhra Pradesh), June 7 (IANS) BJP President J.P. Nadda on Tuesday slammed the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government in Andhra Pradesh for 'lawlessness, corruption and massive debts', and said that time has come for this government to go and for the BJP to come to power.

Addressing a public meeting here on the second day of his two-day visit to Andhra Pradesh, Nadda alleged that corruption is at an all-time high in Andhra Pradesh.

"Today Andhra Pradesh is known for land mafia, sand mafia and liquor mafia. They have become synonyms of Andhra Pradesh," he said.

Nadda also accused the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) of diverting funds released by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

Stating that Andhra Pradesh needs double-engine growth, he urged people to vote for the BJP whenever the elections are held.

Nadda said the Jagan Mohan Reddy government did not maintain financial discipline which resulted in the state's debts mounting to Rs 8 lakh crore.

He also targeted the state government for working with a 'vengeful' attitude to crush the opposition.

"I want to tell Jagan Mohan Reddy that nothing is going to stop lotus from blooming in the state," he said.

The BJP chief alleged that law and order has crumbled in the state and those abusing law and order are going scot-free.

"Religious places are being attacked, politics of appeasement is being practised. There is no environment for business. This is a government which is anti-business, working with high-handedness. No investments are coming, no industries are being set up, rather the ones present are leaving the state," he said.

Nadda also claimed that there is lack of employment in the state.

"How employment will be generated when you don't create a congenial environment? Believing in appeasement politics is not good for democracy," Nadda said.

The BJP chief also slammed the YSRCP government for 'discouraging' Telugu language, though the new National Education Policy talks about encouraging regional languages.

He claimed that the Modi government had released Rs 27,294 crore for the state in 2014-15, which has gone up to Rs 77,538 crore in 2022.

He said though Andhra Pradesh accounts for only 5 per cent of the country's population, the Modi government released 21 per cent of the overall budget of National Highway Authority of India to the state.

He also listed out the institutions sanctioned for the state, including AIIMS, IIT, NIT and a tribal university.

Nadda reiterated that Narendra Modi has changed the political culture in the country by challenging dynasty parties, nepotism, vote bank and appeasement politics.

He claimed that the results of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur show that the governments retained there because of pro-incumbency.