YSRCP leader sees TDP hand in red-sander smuggling

Tirupati: Former MLA and YSR Congress Party general secretary Bhumana Karunakar Reddy alleged that TDP is supporting red-sander smuggling to make quick money to meet its expenses for 2019 election.

Speaking to media here on Friday, Reddy alleged that the TDP activists have been engaging coolies from Tamil Nadu for felling red-sander trees in Seshachalam forests and smuggling them for sale to the international smugglers based in other states.

This is the main reason for the red-sander smuggling remain unabated in Chittoor and Kadapa districts, he alleged. TDP turned the Red-sander Anti-smuggling Task Force set up to contain smuggling a mere toy to remain silent to the growing smuggling activity in the district in the recent months, he said.

The illegal red-sander smuggling is having the blessings of TDP top leaders, he said hinting the tacit support of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also, as the party wants money to meet its huge election expenses. He also suspected shady deal in the sale of C grade red-sander logs by APFDC to Patanjali Ayurveda.