VIJAYAWADA: Launching an all-out attack on former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, TDP leaders, including Human Resource Development Minister Nara Lokesh and others, accused the YSRC president of conspiring to make lakhs of people meet a watery grave by attempting to destroy the gates of Prakasam Barrage with boats.
Taking to social media platform ‘X’ on Tuesday, Lokesh alleged that Jagan, when he was in power, caused breach to the Annamayya project, to benefit his sand mafia, which resulted in the death of 50 people and total destruction of five villages. On similar lines, Jagan had tried to destroy the gates of Prakasam Barrage with iron boats to cause a huge loss of life in Vijayawada and in several island villages downstream, he charged.
“While Jagan hatched the conspiracy to destroy Prakasam Barrage, the plan was implemented by YSRC MLC Talasila Raghuram and former MP Nandigam Suresh. However, Jagan’s gang is making a propaganda blaming the government responsible for the floods to cover up their conspiracies,” Lokesh posted.
Speaking to mediapersons at the party headquarters, TDP Politburo member Varla Ramaiah charged that the YSRC leaders hatched the conspiracy to destroy the Prakasam Barrage with boats loaded with sand to defame the democratically elected government.
Alleging the involvement of Jagan, YSRC leaders Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, Nandigam Suresh and Talasila Raghuram in the conspiracy, he demanded the arrest of not only those involved in the conspiracy, but also the masterminds behind it.
Stating that the boats were stationed at Uddandarayunipalem a day before the Prakasam Barrage received floodwater, Varla said they were later brought towards the barrage to destroy it.
Expressing serious concern that there would have been a calamity more than ‘Diviseema Uppena’ if the boats hit the columns of the barrage instead of the counterweights, he said hundreds of villages might have been washed away in such a scenario.
Alleging that the YSRC leaders did not hesitate to keep the lives of people at risk to satisfy their thirst for power, Varla said the conspiracy should be investigated thoroughly. “Such acts should be considered on par with the sedition, and a special inquiry should be conducted into it. The DGP should lay special emphasis on the case so as to bring the conspirators to book,” he said.