VIJAYAWADA: Asserting that his government will continue the 4% reservation for the Muslim minorities, YSRC supremo and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy accused TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu of adopting double standards on the continuance of quota for them.
Addressing an election rally in Nellore on Saturday, Jagan Mohan Reddy lambasted the TDP for allying with the BJP, which was against reservation to Muslims, and yet saying that he was committed to implementing it. “Naidu has proved himself to be a political chameleon,” he observed.
The Chief Minister said that the 4% reservation given to the minorities is not based on religion, but on the basis of their backwardness. “We are taking steps to eradicate poverty and improve the lives of the poor, but Naidu’s politics is akin to that of a chameleon,” he said.
Jagan promised to fight for the minorities on the 4% reservation, NRC, CAA, and any such minority-related issues. Their interests will be secured and supported by the YSRC, he added. “Can Naidu dare to say the same thing to Modi and walk out of the NDA to fight for Muslims?” he asked.
Jagan said he had accorded priority to minorities and that was why he had nominated Muslims for seven of the 175 Assembly seats.
Earlier, he accused the TDP of playing dirty politics on the Land Titling Act. Addressing an election rally in Hindupur, he said Naidu was spreading malicious propaganda on the Act. “They are sending IVR calls to people saying that ‘Jagan will grab all your lands’. But the truth is that we give lands to the poor, not grab them,” he asserted.
Elaborating further, he said, the Act was to provide full rights to the farmers on the land. It is a major reform and saves people from running from pillar to post to get their land details. After the completion of the current survey, there will be no dispute on these lands, he added.
“Similarly, lies are being propagated regarding registrations with fake advertisements that physical documents were not given after registration. So far nine lakh registrations were done with the help of Card 2.0 software, and the documents were also given to the owners. The process has been simplified with a default format to fill the details so mistakes can be avoided in the document,” he explained.
Stating that the war between credibility and deceit will take place in nine days, he said, “If the people vote for Jagan all the schemes will continue. If they vote for Naidu, it will be the end of the schemes.”
“We have directly deposited Rs 2.70 lakh crore into the accounts of beneficiaries of various schemes, provided 2.31 lakh government jobs in the last 59 months, implemented 99% of the promises made in the YSRC manifesto,” he highlighted.
Noting that the welfare schemes targeting the poor were never the case in the previous administration, the Chief Minister said, “The YSRC gave a pension of Rs 3,000, free crop insurance, input subsidy, free electricity for farmers during the day and supported the self-employed people like fishermen, small traders, labourers and lawyers with financial assistance.”
He also mentioned that nowhere in the history of the country has a government cared so much about the health of the poor like Andhra Pradesh. He also explained how beneficial the village and ward secretariat system has become as they offered 600 types of services.
He also explained how Naidu failed to keep any of his promises made in 2014 and cautioned the people to be wary of him and not allow themselves to be taken for a ride once again. Jagan further said that Naidu was responsible for the people’s inconvenience in receiving the pension, and barring volunteers to deliver it at the doorstep by approaching the ECI.
He urged the people to vote for YSRC and help it win all 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in the election to ensure the continuation of all the welfare schemes in the State.
He also addressed an election meeting at Palamaner, where he highlighted the development programmes, like fishing harbours and ports that were taken up by his government.