Mild tension prevailed at Krishnapatnam as the security staff of the Adani Ports prevented the entry of an all-party delegation led by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Polit Bureau member Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy.
The all-party delegation wanted to express solidarity with the agitating employees of the port over the alleged attempts to close down the operations. When the security staff obstructed the team that also comprised the representatives of the CPI, CPI(M) and Jana Sena Party (JSP), Mr. Chandramohan Reddy wondered how could the security staff of the private port prevent their entry on a public road. The TDP activists staged a protest when the port staff tried to push Mr. Chandramohan Reddy away, leading to a melee.
“The Kakinada, Visakhapatnam and Katupally (Chennai) ports have issued schedules on the arrival of vessels, while the Adani Port at Krishnapatnam has not released its monthly schedules, which is a pointer to the closing down of operations,” the former Minister charged. “The much-hyped arrival of a vessel recently with empty containers is an indicator to the likely conversion of this port into a parking yard,” he said.
Recalling that the port had become a reality with the sweat and toil of the farmers who had parted with 600 acres of farmlands, Mr. Chandramohan Reddy said that they would not let the government turn it into a ‘dirty port’, merely handling coal, iron ore and ash.
