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The YSRCP Kurnool District President S.V. Mohan Reddy held the coalition government responsible for the Kurnool bus accident, calling it a tragic outcome of rampant liquor trade and administrative negligence. He demanded that the State pay a compensation of ₹1 crore to each victim’s family and accept moral as well as administrative responsibility for the loss of lives. Mr. Mohan Reddy alleged that Andhra Pradesh had been turned into “Madhyandra Pradesh” due to the liquor menace spreading across towns and villages under official patronage. He claimed that belt shops and liquor outlets were proliferating near highways and residential areas. Referring to the accident, he said the deceased two-wheeler driver had bought liquor from an illegal shop near the national highway before the tragedy. Accusing the TDP leaders and the Minister for Excise of complicity in the fake liquor trade, Mr. Mohan Reddy said those behind spurious liquor production were running belt shops with political protection. He demanded that the Minister for Excise be named as an accused in the ongoing probe. He drew parallels with the Godavari Pushkaram stampede during the previous TDP regime, alleging that the same “photo-op culture” had now led to more deaths. Mocking the State’s liquor policy, he said liquor bottles were being “door-delivered like food orders” and that every fourth bottle sold was spurious. Calling for accountability, Mr. Mohan Reddy urged the government to end its denial and take firm action against the liquor mafia, illegal outlets, and fake liquor units operating across the State.
