The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national President and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has condemned the arrest of TDP leaders and those of other opposition parties.
“There are two sets of laws in the State. One for the ruling party leaders and the other for opposition leaders. The TDP strongly condemns the arrests of the opposition leaders,” he said.
Addressing party senior leaders and mandal presidents on Tuesday, Mr. Naidu said that the government, instead of coming to the rescue of the needy patients, was targeting opposition leaders. The police arrested the TDP leaders and CPI national Secretary K. Narayana when they were going to visit the Ruia hospital. On the other hand, the ruling YSRCP leaders were permitted to go into the wards at this hospital. “It is sheer double standards,” he said.
Eleven COVID patients died at the Ruia hospital in Tirupati due to lack of oxygen. Other reports were saying that the actual death toll could be 29. The TDP had formed a fact-finding committee. Till now, over 76 patients had died all over the State due to lack of oxygen supply,” he said.
The TDP chief said that while other States were buying vaccines in thousands of doses, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was whiling away his time by writing letters to the Centre. Kerala and Gujarat were in the forefront of vaccination. Israel was in the front row in administering vaccines in the world by covering 60-70% of the population already. Vaccination was also in full swing in America. “Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy has neglected this important aspect and allocated just ₹45 crore when over ₹1,600 crore is required to meet the vaccination needs of the State,” he said.
