Jagan criticises deputy CM Pawan’s experience as legislator, calls AP budget inadequate

Tadepalli: YSRCP president and former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sarcastic comments about deputy CM Pawan Kalyan have gone viral.

On Wednesday, during a press meet at Tadepalli, responding to a question by a reporter about Pawan Kalyan's comments on seats won by YSRCP, Jagan said, “Pawan Kalyan is more than a corporator, less than an MLA. He has won as an MLA for the first time in his life.”

This is not the first time Jagan made comments about Pawan Kalyan. On several occasions, Jagan made comments about his personal life and marriage too.

Response to Budget 2025

Speaking to the media, YS Jagan reiterated that YSRCP is the only Opposition in the Assembly, and it should be rightfully given the due status. He cited the example of the Delhi Assembly where the BJP, with three members, was given the Opposition status.

Speaking about the AP budget session, he said that to implement all the Super Six schemes announced during campaigning, the government needs to allocate Rs 79,867 crore, but there is no trace of such a figure in the budget nor in the budget speech.

Terming the State budget 2025-26 as a bundle of lies with no proper allocations or reliable data, Jagan said chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has deceived all sections of people. He announced that on March 12, the party would protest at all district collector offices on behalf of students and their parents for the ‘raw deal they got from the budget.’

“Chandarbabu Naidu has been claiming that the previous government has taken Rs 10 lakh crore loan though the budget documents presented by his government shows much lesser figure and, in this budget, the public debt was tucked away deep under,” he said.

“The lies being spread by the TDP are only to cover up its inability to fulfil the election promises, and people are now repenting for once again believing the lies of TDP and think that Jagan used to deliver and keep up promises,” he added.

While presenting data and documents, Jagan claimed to provide anomalies in the budget which do not match the poll promises, leaving farmers, women, students, youth and other sections in the lurch.

Jagan says AP budget made no space for youth and women

While the coalition promised a Rs 3,000 monthly stipend to the unemployed youth, there was no mention of it in the budget like the previous one. For two years, the Chandrababu Naidu government owes Rs 72,000 to each youth of the state. In the governor’s speech, it was told that Rs 6.5 lakh crore investment has already come, and four lakh jobs were already given. During our term, we have given 6.31 lakh jobs in all. The coalition, instead of creating jobs, is driving away industrialists like Jindal and retrenching employees, he said.

Under ‘Ada Bidda Nidhi’ scheme, CM Chandrababu promised Rs 18,000 annually to women in the age group of 18 to 59, and there is no mention of it in the budget, he said. “As per the voters’ list, 1.80 crore women voters have to get benefits, but funds do not find a place in the budget due to which Government owes Rs 36,000 to every women of that age group. No allocation was seen for free bus rides, which is a very small component in the two budgets and the Talliki Vandanam, which is a replica of our Amma Vodi, got meagre funds,” he said.

Both budgets inadequate, says Jagan

Funds were allocated in the earlier budget but were not released, Jagan said. He said that 87.41 lakh students need Rs 13,112, and such a figure does not exist, and every student should be getting Rs 30,000 for the two years.

So is the case with farmers, who were promised Rs 20,000 over and above the PM Kisan scheme and farmers were cheated in the two budgets presented by the government. The Deepam scheme is also blinking with meagre funds. The same pattern continues for pension schemes as well, he said.

“CM Chandrababu Naidu lied when he said during electioneering that he will continue all the welfare schemes of Jagan and in addition will give the Super Six. In reality, the fees reimbursement is gone, Aarogyasri and other health initiatives were diluted or deleted, the education sector has been vandalised, and all the reforms brought in were erased along with RBKs, which were the rural backbone,” he said.

He reiterated that YSRCP is the only Opposition Party in the Assembly and status should be given. If there is no rule on that specification, we had given Leader of Opposition to Chandrababu when we were in office, which shows the difference, he said.

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