The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded the State government to scrap the existing sand policy and come up with a new one under which sand is made available free of cost and in an abundant quantity to the public.
Party leaders led by BJP-A.P. president Somu Veerraju and general secretary S. Vishnuvardhan Reddy attempted to stage a demonstration at the office of the Revenue Divisional Officer here on Tuesday, but were prevented by the police as the election code is in place. The activists left after shouting slogans against the government and submitting a representation to the officials to this effect.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Veerraju said that the government had shattered the hopes of millions of middle- and lower-income group people of having a house of their own, by denying them sand.
“Even buying gold appears to be less cumbersome and cheaper in the State,” Mr. Veerraju quipped as demonstrators tried to weigh sand against wads of currency notes on a weighing scale as a form of protest.
MLC Vakati Narayana Reddy, spokespersons G. Bhanuprakash Reddy and S. Srinivas and media coordinator Kola Anand took part.
BJP national general secretary and former Union Minister D. Purandeswari alleged that there was no ‘constructive governance’ in the State. One of the in-charge leaders for the Assembly constituencies forming part of Tirupati Lok Sabha seat, Ms. Purandeswari held a closed-door meeting with party workers. Speaking to reporters later, she accused the ruling party of winning local body elections with the help of ‘fake’ voter identity cards. She said Jana Sena Party (JSP) leaders and activists would be roped in for canvassing once the candidate was finalised.
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