YSRCP MP claims illegal liquor sales in Tripuati; accuses TDP

Tadepalli (Andhra Pradesh) [India], May 20 (ANI): YSRCP MP Maddila Gurumoorthy has alleged that illegal liquor is being sold in Tirupati, citing evidence gathered by party's Tirupati incharge Bhumana Abhinay.
In a statement, Gurumoorthy alleged that the sales are taking place under watch of ruling TDP-led coalition and said that the temple city has become a hub of unlawful liquor trade, operating round-the-clock in gross violation of excise laws.
According to a statement from MP Gurumoorthy, Bhumana Abhinay inspected over a dozen liquor outlets across Tirupati and found liquor being sold at least Rs. 50 above MRP, and shops open as early as 5:00 AM and past midnight--clearly violating legal time restrictions.
Gurumoorthy said this illegal liquor network not only threatens the sanctity of Tirupati but also reflects the complete breakdown of governance and regulatory enforcement. He demanded that the government take immediate action against those responsible and answer to the people for turning a holy city into a hotspot of lawlessness.
"The TDP coalition is looting even in Tirumala's shadow. If this is the situation in a temple town, one can imagine the anarchy elsewhere in the state," he said.
Earlier on Saturday, Gurumoorthy denounced what he described as "false and politically driven" liquor scam allegations against the YSRCP.
In a sharply worded statement, the MP accused the TDP Government in Andhra of orchestrating a campaign of vendetta to target former YSRCP officials and damage the image of opposition leaders through what it called "fabricated cases, coerced confessions, and media manipulation."
Gurumoorthy said that the present government was misusing mechanisms like the "Red Book Constitution" to launch investigations against past functionaries while ignoring an alleged liquor scam that took place during Naidu's previous tenure as Chief Minister between 2014 and 2019. Citing CID and ACB documents from that period, the YSRCP MP said an FIR had named Naidu as Accused No. 3, with his then Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra and the Excise Commissioner listed as primary accused.
Gurumoorthy statement came in relation to the alleged irregularities and corruption in the State's liquor sector from 2019 to 2024. (ANI)