Jagan Reddy's Party Leader Arrested In Toxic Liquor Case, Sparks War Of Words

A fierce political showdown has erupted over the arrest of YSRCP leader and former minister Jogi Ramesh in an adulterated liquor case, with the party alleging vendetta by the ruling TDP government led by Chandrababu Naidu.

Ramesh was arrested by a joint team of the Excise department, SIT, and local police on Sunday and produced in court in the late evening. It is alleged that Ramesh and his associates are linked to the spurious liquor manufacturing and distribution racket. In this case, earlier, the main suspect, Janatdhan Rao, was arrested, and he reportedly revealed the name of Ramesh.

However, the YSRCP, as well as Ramesh, have denied the allegation and alleged that he has been "maliciously framed" in the case, only to "harass him and target the YSRCP". The party called the arrest a "blatant act of political revenge" and "abuse of power by the coalition government".

"TDP leaders were caught red-handed. To cover up their crime, they have manufactured a fake narrative and dragged Jogi Ramesh into it," the party said.

The Jagan Reddy-led party asserted that Ramesh had sought a CBI inquiry and even approached the High Court. Despite this, he was arrested, "indicating a deliberate conspiracy".

The TDP denied all allegations and said that the law will take its own course, and the party has nothing to do with the arrest.

Ramesh is also being investigated over the attack on Chandrababu Naidu's residence at Undavalli in 2021.