Spot light on Vizag steel plant privatisation at YSRC yatra
VIJAYAWADA: On day nine of the ruling YSRC’s Samajika Sadhikara yatra, party leaders held public meetings at Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam, Markapuram in Prakasam district and Kakinada city on Monday.
In all three regions, the leaders highlighted the State government’s initiatives towards the uplift of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Backward Classes (BCs) and Minorities.
They also lashed out at TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu for not working towards the welfare of the downtrodden while serving as chief minister. In Gajuwaka, issues pertaining to the State capital and privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant took centre stage.
Regional coordinator YV Subba Reddy, ministers Gudivada Amarnath, Dharmana Prasada Rao, Seediri Appalaraju, MP Nandigama Suresh and others participated. Seediri said, “I am delighted to witness the overwhelming support for the Gajuwaka social empowerment yatra. During Naidu’s 14-year tenure, BCs, SCs, and STs often hesitated to even hold meetings.
It wasn’t until YS Jagan Mohan Reddy assumed power that they found the courage to do so. We should all ask Naidu why BC, SC, and ST leaders were marginal i sed despi te thei r contributions.” Raising the subject of the privatisation of the Vizag Steel plant, he said, “It was Jagan who first took up the matter with the Centre. The decision of Pawan Kalyan to align with the BJP despite the ongoing controversy points towards his selfish political stance. It’s unclear where his loyalties lie.”
Dharmana Prasada Rao accused Opposition parties, especially the TDP, of unjustifiably opposing Vizag as the capital. In Kakinada, Deputy Chief Minister Budi Mutyala Naidu, along with Ministers Chelluboyina Venugopala Krishna, Pinipe Viswaroop, Taneti Vanitha, MPs Vanga Geetha, Mopidevi Venkataramana, and MLAs Kurasala Kanna Babu, Anil Kumar Yadav joined the bus yatra. In a dig at the TDP chief, Venugopala Krishna remarked that Naidu developed eye problem after witnessing the positive initiatives undertaken by the YSRC for the backward communities.
Further, Pinipe Viswaroop noted, “The former chief minister had allocated five ministerial positions to BCs during his tenure just as an eyewash as he kept shuffling the posts every six months. However, Jagan has appointed deputy chief ministers each from the BC, SC, ST, and Minority communities, thereby championing the social justice mantra.” In Markapuram town, YSRC regional coordinator V Vijayasai Reddy, ministers Audimulapu Suresh, Merugu Nagarjuna, MLAs Kunduru Nagarjuna Reddy, Balineni Srinivas Reddy, and other senior party leaders took part in the bus yatra.