Sankranti Turned Into Gambling Season in AP: YSRCP Slams Coalition Government

The YSR Congress Party has strongly criticised the coalition government, accusing it of promoting gambling under the guise of traditional festivities and reducing the spirit of Sankranti to a commercial spectacle.

Addressing the media on Sunday, party spokesperson Putta Siva Shankar alleged that large-scale gambling activities are being openly organised during the festival season, with massive cash transactions involved. He claimed that substantial commissions from these operations are being funnelled to ruling party leaders and cadres.

According to him, nearly 250 gambling dens are expected to operate cockfights with high stakes during Sankranti, and experts from Sri Lanka have allegedly been brought in to manage and supervise these events.

The spokesperson further charged the government with abandoning traditional cultural practices and instead aggressively facilitating gambling, liquor sales, entry fees, and even monetising access rights. Such actions, he said, not only undermine the sanctity of the festival but also expose the government’s priorities, turning a cultural celebration into a profit-driven exercise.