Amravati: TDP national general secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh on Wednesday questioned the Ganesh Chaturthi restrictions imposed by the Andhra Pradesh government. The TDP leader posed a series of questions to the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), pointing out that such restrictions are ignored during the birth anniversary and death anniversary celebrations of former chief minister of joint AP state YS Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR).
Lokesh demanded answers from AP chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy (YSR’s son) as to why birth and death anniversaries of the erstwhile AP’s chief minister were publicly celebrated, amidst family, friends, and party leaders. The Telugu Desam Party’s national general secretary further added that Jagan conducted his marriage anniversary on a grand scale as well.
Lokesh also blamed the ruling YSRCP for its leaders conducting all personal and political events ignoring COVID-19 protocols and worsening the situation.
The TDP leader said that the YSRCP has applied different rules for different people, in order to make petty gains. He alleged that the YSRCP leaders were behaving like “covidiots” and further accused them of being superspreaders. He was of the opinion that the YSRCP leaders were responsible for the worsening COVID-19 situation due to their reckless behavior.
Nara Lokesh also expressed his displeasure over the state government’s needless awareness campaigns regarding COVID-19 outbreak during the festival of Vinayaka Chaturthi. He said that the government should be considerate of the public’s opinion with regards to the Ganesh Chaturthi restrictions.
YSRCP leaders have however said that the state government was only following guidelines as per the Centre, which asked all states and union territories to impose COVID-19 restrictions keeping the upcoming festival season.