VIJAYAWADA: TDP supremo and Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday kick-started his tour of four districts by participating in the ‘Badude Badudu’ protest in Srikakulam against skyrocketing prices of essential commodities, hike in power tariff and APSRTC bus fare.
Speaking on the occasion, the TDP chief launched a broadside against Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for imposing an unbearable burden on the people with different kinds of taxes and tariff hikes. Naidu held a two-hour grama sabha at Dallavalasa village in Ponduru mandal of Amadalavalasa assembly segment.
“After getting 151 seats in the Assembly elections, Jagan became unbearably arrogant. He started slamming and punishing the people with taxes and charges in an unprecedented manner. He broke the backs of the poor and middle class with his false policies,” he alleged.
Naidu said the price of palm oil was increased to `165 per litre from just `69 in June, 2019. There were McDowell’s and Kingfisher liquor brands in the past. But now, only Jagan brands of harmful liquor was being sold in the State, he said.
The TDP chief recalled how the arrogant Chief Minister provoked attacks on his own residence at Undavalli in Amaravati.“The ruling party’s arrogant leaders insulted me and my family members. Jagan is more dangerous than Coronavirus,” the TDP chief remarked.
Naidu deplored that Andhra Pradesh was fast turning into another Sri Lanka only because of Jagan’s unlimited greed and massive corruption. Not even one project was completed in North Andhra. The TDP regime attracted large-scale investments and facilitated 5.50 lakh jobs in the private sector, the TDP chief said.
Naidu expressed concern that the Chief Minister was punishing the people of Andhra Pradesh for voting him to power in 2019. The financial burden was increased unbearably in the name of house tax, garbage tax, drainage tax, lighting tax, water tax, library tax, unauthorised penalties, tax arrears and interest, he added.
Earlier, the former chief minister was accorded a rousing reception at the Visakhapatnam airport and Vizianagaram en route to Srikakulam district.