Caught in an embarrassing situation after the exposure of spurious liquor scam that first came out in Annamayya district and later found to have its roots in Ibrahimpatnam near Vijayawada, the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government is desperately trying to link the scam to the YSRCP leaders.
After leaking the alleged confession statement of the prime accused Addepalli Janardhan Rao to the media that he had acted under the instructions of Jogi Ramesh, the cops allegedly leaked a purported WhatsApp chat between the two went viral on social media.
Enraged at this Jogi Ramesh lodged a police complaint against the purported leakage of the WhatsApp chat, denying any connection with the spurious liquor scam accused.
Ramesh appeared at the Vijayawada Commissioner of Police’s office, accompanied by YSRCP leaders, and sought legal action against what he called a “malicious campaign” being spread by “yellow media” and opposition sympathizers.
“The fake WhatsApp chat being circulated is completely fabricated. I have no connection whatsoever with Janardhan Rao or his activities,” Ramesh stated in his complaint.
He accused rival political forces of trying to defame him and the YSRCP by linking his name to the illicit liquor racket.
Calling it a conspiracy to tarnish the image of a BC leader, Ramesh said: “Just because Janardhan hails from Ibrahimpatnam doesn’t mean I am involved. The opposition is deliberately spreading fake messages to discredit me.”
Ramesh further accused TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Nara Lokesh of orchestrating the smear campaign.
“If they are so confident, let them undergo a lie detector test. I am ready for it,” he declared.
He added that he has voluntarily offered to hand over his mobile phones to investigators or any authority nominated by Naidu or Lokesh, to prove his innocence.
He urged police and the SIT probing the illicit liquor case to investigate the spread of fake messages and take strict action against those responsible for the misinformation.
