The opposition YSR Congress Party in Andhra Pradesh has accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh of conspiring to shut down Bharathi Cements, which is owned by the family of party president and former chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
YSRCP state spokesperson and former MLA Rachamallu Siva Prasad Reddy alleged that the Naidu government was blocking the transportation of raw materials to Bharathi Cements, threatening the management and issuing notices to cancel limestone leases.
He said intimidating industrialists, harassing companies and eventually forcing them to shut down had become the coalition government’s industrial policy.
Rachamallu alleged that TDP workers were preventing trucks carrying limestone from reaching the Bharathi Cement plant at Kamalapuram in Kadapa district, creating a serious shortage of raw materials and bringing production close to a halt.
Despite repeated complaints from the company, he claimed that the police had neither registered cases nor ensured the movement of even a single truck.
At the same time, he alleged that the government was repeatedly issuing notices threatening to cancel limestone leases, which, according to him, clearly showed its intention to cripple the plant because Jagan holds a stake in the company.
Rachamallu said Bharathi Cement provides direct employment to nearly 3,000 workers and indirectly supports around 12,000 families.
He also claimed that the company contributes substantial revenue to the state and has paid nearly Rs 3,000 crore in taxes.
He argued that political vendetta against one individual should not be allowed to destroy the livelihoods of nearly 15,000 families.
Rachamallu further alleged that industries were being given a red carpet only if they agreed to pay illegal collections and commissions or award contracts to ruling-party leaders. Companies unwilling to comply, he claimed, were being subjected to pressure, blackmail and threats of closure.
He cited similar alleged pressure on projects linked to Adani Pumped Storage, Dalmia, UltraTech, Chettinad, Aurobindo Pharma, Ramayapatnam Port and United Breweries.
Rachamallu questioned whether the Jagan government had ever targeted Chandrababu Naidu’s Heritage Foods between 2019 and 2024.
He warned that continued political harassment of industries could drive existing companies out of the state, discourage new investments and severely damage Andhra Pradesh’s economy.
