Communist Party of India State Secretary Gujjula Eswaraiah addressing a dharna organized by the party against the medical mafia at Prakasam Bhavan in Ongola on Saturday. | Photo credit: Kommuri Srinivas
Communist Party of India (CPI) state secretary Gujjula Eswaraiah suggested the Andhra Pradesh government to “set aside the Tirumala laddu adulteration issue” and focus on the problems faced by the people of the state. He participated in a dharna organized by CPI Prakasam district committee to protest against the drug mafia in Ongole on Saturday (February 28, 2026).
Talking to the media, he said that the ruling and opposition parties are criticizing each other over the issue of adulteration in laddus. He demanded that the government should know about adulterated food in the state. He said that the issue of adulterated laddu has finally reached a situation where democracy cannot be respected and people are resorting to physical attacks.
Mr. Eswaraiah said the coalition government was engaging in diversionary politics only for political gain. He stated that the opposition party is also caught up in this. He urged the state government to put aside the laddu affair and focus on public affairs. He said medical businesses are being run in the state at the cost of human lives.
He said, “Medical mafia and drug mafia are playing with the health of people in the state. There are more than 50,000 medical shops across the state, but most of them are run with a lease certificate. There are no pharmacists in medical shops. Most of the medical shops do not bill for the drugs administered. Moreover, they conduct excessive tests in diagnostic centers.”
“The private health sector has reached a point where doctors who should be able to treat minor ailments and treat them with pen and paper are instead making money with pen and paper. The state government is taking a careless attitude towards the medical sector,” the CPI leader said, demanding immediate action against the medical mafia.
Published – 01 March 2026 14:22 IST
