A rally was taken out from the Saraswathi Park to the Collectorate, under the aegis of all trade unions, people’s organisations, Vizag Steel Plant and PSUs JAC, with a call to save the nation drawing inspiration from the Quit India movement, here on Monday.
The rally concluded in a meeting near the Collectorate. Addressing the participants, CITU State president Ch. Narasinga Rao called upon the gathering to draw inspiration from the Quit India movement to save the nation from the BJP.
He recalled that the British rulers had plundered the wealth of India. Our national leaders had given the call for ‘Quit India’ on August 9, 1942, asking the British rulers to leave India.
The CITU State president alleged that now in the name of patriotism, the BJP government was selling the nation to corporate groups. The PSUs, which were the foundation of our national economy, were being privatised, he alleged. He said that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has no right to pay tributes to Alluri Sitarama Raju in Visakhapatnam.
He wondered as to how the Centre was justified in saying that it would develop khadi after destroying the PSUs.
About 70% of the population in the country was still dependent on agriculture but the Centre has brought out three black laws to make farmers as bonded labourers, he alleged.
Lakhs of workers were removed from service in the name of COVID-19. Those who were working were paid 50% wages resulting in decline in GDP by 24%. At the same time, the income of corporate investors has grown by 50%. He demanded that workers, who lost their jobs, be paid ₹7,500 a month. While the price of crude oil has decreased all over the world, the prices of petrol and diesel in India have increased by 100% in the last six months, he said.
AITUC State vice president Adinarayana, INTUC State president Ramachandra Rao, JAC chairman M. Jaggu Naidu, vice chairman Padala Ramana spoke.
CITU leaders R.K.S.V. Kumar, Venkata Reddy, Subba Rao, Pydiraju, Mani and B. Jagan, AITUC leaders Rehaman and Vamana Murthy, DYFI city secretary USN Raju, AIDWA leaders Santosham, Kumari and Kondamma were among those who attended.
