Taking an oath to wage a relentless war against the liquor menace in the state, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday described Mahatma Gandhi and former prime minister, the late Lal Bahadur Shastri as two personalities who had lived their lives as examples of selfless service to the nation.
After paying rich tributes to Gandhiji at a program in the NTR Trust Bhavan, Naidu reminded the people that October 2nd was also the birth anniversary of the late prime minister. He vowed that his party would follow the preaching and ideals of Gandhiji.
Earlier, he had garlanded the Gandhi statue at the Assembly premises and paid tributes to the Mahatma.
The leader of the main opposition party in the state took the opportunity at the program held at his party headquarters to lambast the ruling Congress government over its liquor policies.
Naidu alleged that the Congress government was making "door delivery of liquor' to the people of the State, after coming to power by promising to implement prohibition in a phased manner.
The TDP chief charged the government of opportunism and stated that the government had left its promises by the wayside in its attempts to fill the state treasury through sale of liquor.
Naidu charged that the government had neglected public health concerns and was concentrating only on earnings through the Excise Department by granting liquor licenses.
Turning his attention to the rampant corruption prevalent in all spheres of administration, the former chief minister alleged that Chief Minister K Rosaiah was a silent spectator, even as the state was being plundered.
Naidu distributed blankets to the physically handicapped, as a part of the several programs organized for the welfare of the people.