VIJAYAWADA: TDP General Secretary and Human Resource Development Minister Nara Lokesh criticized YSRC President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for making a fuss over the ‘Red Book’ in New Delhi without actually reviewing it. Lokesh emphasized that all individuals implicated in the Red Book will be held accountable under the law.
Speaking informally to the media at the State Legislative Assembly on Friday, Lokesh pointed out that he had discussed the Red Book in around 90 public meetings. He quipped that Jagan’s actions had only given more publicity to the Red Book by involving the national media in Delhi. Lokesh contrasted this with Jagan’s limited engagement with the press during his tenure as Chief Minister, noting that Jagan had held only two press conferences over five years, but now was holding five within a month after his party's reduced representation in the Assembly.
Lokesh responded to Jagan’s criticism of the government’s white papers, stating that the treasury benches are prepared to present facts in the Assembly if Jagan attends. He added, “Unlike YSRC leaders, we (leaders of the NDA) will not resort to personal attacks or show disrespect towards Jagan’s family.”
Legislative Affairs Minister Payyavula Keshav also took a jab at Jagan, suggesting that Jagan missed an opportunity to address law and order issues in the State Assembly and instead went to Delhi to seek an alliance with the INDI Alliance.
Regarding Jagan’s claim about the government's inability to present the full Budget, Keshav attributed the delay to the financial mismanagement of Jagan’s previous administration. He criticized Jagan for not providing details about the 36 YSRC activists allegedly murdered recently and suggested it could take Jagan at least ten years to regain the status of Leader of Opposition (LoP).