TDP State president K. Atchannaidu on Saturday dared Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party MPs to stage a protest in New Delhi opposing the Centre’s move to privatise the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).
Ridiculing the padayatra taken out by YSRCP Rajya Sabha member V. Vijaya Sai Reddy in Visakhapatnam, Mr. Atchannaidu wondered what purpose would it serve.
Instead of organising a public meeting in New Delhi to make the Centre understand the strong resentment of the people of Andhra Pradesh on the issue, the YSRCP leaders were merely making statements in support of the protesters, which were nothing but an eyewash.
Criticising that the public meeting in Visakhapatnam was reduced to a platform where the TDP was blamed for the situation, Mr. Atchannaidu wondered why the ruling party MPs did not resign to show their protest.
He accused the YSRCP of striking a “secret deal” with POSCO, the South Korean steel company, which would be handed over the land belonging to the VSP as part of a joint venture.
He further alleged that the deal was struck in September last, when the ruling party leaders – Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy, Balashouri, Vemireddy and Prabhakar Reddy – met the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel, along with representatives of POSCO.
“To save himself from the many corruption cases, the Chief Minister is mortgaging the interests of the people,” the TDP leader alleged.
