VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president YS Sharmila Reddy has launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led central government, accusing it of secretly handing over Visakhapatnam Steel Plant to the Adani Group despite public assurances that it would not be privatized.
In her X post on Monday, Sharmila alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is carrying out a ‘silent killing operation’ against Vizag Steel, pointing to halted recruitments, removal of employees, and attempts to parcel out plant lands to Adani ‘at throwaway prices.’ She charged that Andhra Pradesh’s rights are being mortgaged step by step, turning the state into ‘Adani Pradesh.’ She further claimed that while Modi is the mastermind behind the privatisation plan, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu is playing the role of executor. “One hand pretends to help, while the other snatches away,” she said, accusing the two leaders of conspiring against the plant’s future.
The APCC chief criticized the government for citing losses as an excuse to harass workers, imposing unfair wage rules, and slicing the plant into parts through tenders to bring it closer to Adani. She also alleged that raw materials required for steel production are being deliberately withheld to cripple operations.
Sharmila demanded that the BJP government prove its sincerity by making a clear statement in Parliament.