KAKINADA : Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan lashed out at the government for failing to come to the rescue of farmers by providing remunerative prices for their produce. He also criticised the government for failing to control spiralling onion prices.Pawan Kalyan sat on a day-long deeksha, as part of the Rythu Sowbhagya Deeksha in Kakinada on Thursday. His brother Naga Babu and senior leader Nadendla Manohar were also present while the party’s lone MLA Rapaka Varaprasad did not take part in the protest. JSP leaders claimed that Rapaka could not attend in view of the Assembly sessions.
Speaking after ending his deeksha, Pawan Kalyan said 151 MLAs (of the YSRC) could not control the onion prices and were not in a position to properly supply onions at subsidised prices. “The 151 MLAs are only there to criticise me. If they want to do so, I will come and sit before you and you can abuse me as you like but react to people’s problems,” he said.He said that he undertook “Rythu Sowbhagya Deeksa” with a demand that the government announce MSP to the farmers.
Row erupts over flexes of Rapaka, YSRC MLA on ambulance
In what could be seen as an indication that the lone Jana Sena MLA Rapaka Varaprasad might shift loyalties, flexes of the MLA, along with his counterpart in the P Gannavaram constituency, on a ruling party hoarding have surfaced in Razole of East Godavari district. One such hoarding was seen attached to a 108 ambulance, which was reportedly intercepted by a TDP activist.
The ambulance staff, upon being intercepted by TDP activist Battula Venkata Ramana, reportedly told him Rapaka’s flex was printed a month ago for thanking the Chief Minister for hiking their salaries. Later, it was taken to Mamidikuduru for framing and then to Nagaram, for which an autorickshaw was arranged. As the vehicle developed glitches, the flex was shifted to a 108 ambulance, which was coming in the direction.
The 108 vehicle already had a photo of YSRC MLA Kondeti Chittibabu, the staffers explained.
Rapaka had been distancing himself from party activities as he did not take part in the ‘Rythu Sowbhagya Deeksha’. On Wednesday, Rapaka also hailed the YSRC government for introducing English medium in all government schools on the Assembly floor. He went against the party’s line on the issue.