VIJAYAWADA: Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao has alleged that YSR Congress (YSRC) leaders are threatening people to fund their party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy padayatra (walkathon) in the State.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Umamaheswara Rao said, "YSRC leaders are demanding crores of rupees for funding the padayatra. They are threatening businessmen and others in Krishna district for funds claiming that YSRC would come to power in 2019?"
He slammed Jaganmohan Reddy for 'compromising' with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the fight for the special category status (SCS). "He doesn't have the courage to question PM Modi. All he does is to get out of the cases filed against him. That is the reason why he has compromised with the BJP. The resignation by his MPs is also a drama. For Jagan, 'rajinamalu' (resignations) means 'raji' (compromise) with Modi, and 'namalu' (betraying) the people of AP," he fumed. He said while the entire State is fighting against the Centre by coming onto the roads, Jagan was enjoying in AC tents in the name of walkathon.
The Water Resources Minister further lambasted Jagan for 'spewing venom' on the irrigation projects. He said that the State had spent Rs 8,229 crore on Polavaram project in the last four years and added that no other State in India was able to execute a national project like AP did. "On April 23, buses will be arranged at every mandal headquarters to ferry people to the Polavaram project site to witness the progress," he said and observed that the State government would take up Jala the Samrakshana programme in the next 50 days.