Actor-turned-politician and Jana Sena Party (JSP) founder Pawan Kalyan today launched a scathing attack on the YSR Congress Party regime, alleging that the latter's
protests against the privatisation of Andhra Pradesh's historic Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) was just an attempt to secure electoral gains in the upcoming municipal elections in the state, which are to be held across 12 corporations and 75 municipalities on March 10.
Kalyan attacked the 22 MPs of the ruling party and asked them what they had done to oppose the move and ensure its withdrawal in Parliament.
"If the YSRCP MPs are genuinely concerned for the welfare of the people of the state, and for the workers of the VSP, why have they not brought up the issue with the powers in Delhi in a forceful manner? There is no point in taking out protest rallies in AP just to fool the people of the state. The MPs should have voiced their concerns in Parliament," the JSP leader thundered.
He then jumped to the defence of the Centre, and claimed that the latter had in no way targeted the VSP alone, and that it was withdrawing investments from certain loss-making PSUs.
"The Centre is not disinvesting from the VSP alone. It has taken the decision to implement a country-wide policy of withdrawing investments from certain PSUs. However, the VSP is a symbol of the self-respect of the people of Andhra. My party is committed to protecting it. I even met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to explain to him the cultural significance of the plant to our people," Kalyan said.
He also claimed that he had reminded Shah that the families of the farmers, who had given up their lands for the establishment of the plant, were still awaiting compensation for the same.
"In my meeting with the Home Minister, I informed him about the sacrifices made by the people of Visakhapatnam for the plant, and urged the Centre to reconsider its decision regarding the privatisation of the plant," the leader said.
The upcoming municipal elections, like the recently concluded Panchayat elections in the state, have already stirred up much trouble - they have even catalysed
a public spat within the TDP's leaders.