VIJAYAWADA: Accusing the NDA leaders of practising ‘untouchability’ against the poor, YSRC president and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy found fault with Home Minister Amit Shah’s comments on the introduction of English medium education in government schools.
“This alliance of capitalists cannot tolerate children being taught in English in government schools. They want English for their children, but not for the poor. This is nothing but double standards. We are fighting against this ideology which is biased against the poor. This is another form of untouchability,” Jagan remarked.
Addressing a public meeting at Rajampet on Thursday, he said voting for TDP and its allies will result in children losing the chance of pursuing studies in English medium.
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that only ‘double engine sarkar’ can ensure development of the State, he sought to know why the TDP, JSP and BJP combine, who won in 2014, could not fulfil their poll promises. He said PM Modi and Shah have failed to respond to the aspirations of the people of Andhra Pradesh on the Special Category Status.
Will strive to protect honour of Muslims: Jagan
“The BJP leaders did not make a mention of SCS, but delivered speeches to satisfy TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, foster son Pawan Kalyan (Jana Sena president), and Vadinamma (BJP AP unit chief D Purandeswari),” he alleged.
Stating that local leaders have been seeking the establishment of a medical college in Rajampeta, Jagan assured the people that he will take steps to establish the 18th medical college in the constituency during his second term.
“If you want to see the completion of Annamayya Project and Galeru Nagari canal till Railway Kodur, you should choose YSRC,” he told people.
‘Declare support for Muslim quota before PM’
Earlier at a public meeting in Kurnool, Jagan reiterated his commitment to protect the interests of Minorities and charged the TDP with aligning with the BJP although it is opposed to reservations based on religion.
Further, he demanded Naidu to declare his support for Muslim quota while sharing the stage with PM Modi. “On one hand, Naidu has aligned with the BJP, and on the other, he is wooing Muslims for votes,” Jagan quipped. Asserting that the basis of giving reservation is not religion, but backwardness of Minorities, the Chief Minister said only those who are very poor in the Muslim community will be eligible for 4% reservation. “I will also strive to protect the honour of Muslims on matters like CAA and NRC,” he promised.
He pointed out that besides giving respectable posts like Deputy Chief Minister and Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council to representatives of the Muslim community, Jagan said he has also given 4% political reservation for Muslims by allotting seven Assembly and Lok Sabha tickets to them, besides making Urdu the second official language in the State.
He stressed that his government changed the course of the State by disbursing Rs 2.7 lakh crore through various DBT welfare schemes, creating 2.31 lakh government jobs, making English medium education accessible to students of poor families, empowering women and farmers, and overhauling the administration with village and ward secretariats.
At Singanamala, he reiterated that schemes and reforms will continue only if YSRC is elected to power once again.
Elucidating the schemes implemented by his government over the past 59 months, the Chief Minister pointed out that 99% of election promises were fulfilled, “thereby bringing sanctity to the manifestos for the first time”.
Schemes like Amma Vodi, Vidya Deevena, Vasathi Deevena, Nadu-Nedu, digitisation of class rooms, TOEFEL training from class 3, tabs to Class 8 students, Goru Mudda and introduction of bilingual text books have revolutionised the educational system, he asserted.
Pointing out that his government has economically empowered self-help groups by implementing schemes like YSR Cheyutha, Aasara, Sunna Vaddi, Kapu Nestham, EBC Nestham, he said 31 lakh house sites were distributed and 22 lakh houses were constructed.
He added that the implementation of schemes like Rythu Bharosa, free crop insurance, input subsidy, nine-hour free power supply and RBKs have empowered the farmers.
Jagan accused Naidu of cheating people on the promise of loan waiver to farmers and SHGs, disbursal of Rs 25,000 on the birth of a girl child, allotment of three-cent house sites to the poor, job for every household and Rs 2,000 monthly stipend for the unemployed.