Vijayawada: YSRCP president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday termed chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu's promise to grant additional financial assistance for having additional children as "irresponsible" and "playing with the lives of women."
Jagan's Attack on Naidu's Population Policy
Launching a scathing attack on Naidu for "making false promises under the guise of population policy," Jagan charged that promises of incentives for families having a third and fourth child would adversely affect women's health and family welfare. "Why did the chief minister himself stop with one child if he believed larger families were necessary?" he asked. He also took a swipe at IT minister Nara Lokesh, questioning why the next generation of the Naidu family also decided to have only one child.
Jagan alleged that the government is trying to divert public attention from failures in governance by raising issues such as population growth. "The same Chandrababu Naidu who once spoke about wealth creation is now saying children are wealth and promising incentives for families having three or four children. Such policies would place additional financial and health burdens on families, particularly women," he remarked.
Concerns Over Women's Health and Family Welfare
Pointing out that many households are already struggling to provide nutritious food, quality education, and healthcare even for two children, Jagan said women should not be treated as child-bearing machines. "When families themselves are under economic stress, how can the government encourage them to have more children without ensuring proper healthcare, education, and welfare support?" he questioned.
Jagan alleged that the coalition government neglected key sectors such as education, healthcare, and agriculture while prioritising expensive Amaravati construction projects. He questioned the need for spending thousands of crores on new assembly, secretariat, and high court buildings despite existing structures already being built with public funds.
Reactions from Coalition Leaders
Reacting to Jagan's comments, civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar accused him of making statements with "half knowledge and incomplete information" on public issues and welfare schemes. Questioning Jagan's criticism of Pawan Kalyan's public tours, Manohar said the deputy CM was spending his own hard-earned money for public outreach, unlike the previous YSRCP government, "which spent Rs 222 crore of public funds on helicopter travel alone."
"Does Jagan even know how many LPG connections exist in the state? Does he know how many beneficiaries are covered under Deepam-2 and what the eligibility criteria are?" Manohar asked, adding that Jagan is only trying to create fear among the public by repeatedly using the term 'Mavigen.' He also accused the former chief minister of insulting Amaravati farmers during his tenure and said people were now mocking such political statements instead of taking them seriously.
BJP spokesperson Sadineni Yamini Sharma accused Jagan of damaging Andhra Pradesh's image and misleading the public. "His comments reflect his political frustration following loss of power. He should analyse the reasons behind his party's electoral rejection rather than relying on scripted allegations," she said, adding that Jagan has no moral authority to comment on governance and public safety issues.
