The Hindu : Drought: CPI meet to chalk out stir plans

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 25, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Drought: CPI meet to chalk out stir plans

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD April 24. The State council of the CPI will meet here for three days from Friday to chalk out the agitational programme against the negligence of the State Government in meeting the drought situation.

Speaking to newsmen on Thursday, the CPI State secretary, S. Sudhakar Reddy, said it was decided to take to the agitational path after party teams visited the villages and examined the drought relief works, which were inadequate.

Mr. Reddy said the seven-day Bharat Jana Jagaran Yatra of the party in the State, which ended on Thursday, had evoked a good response. The yatra had exposed the communal agenda of the Sangh Parivar and the policies of the NDA Government such as bowing to pressure from the World Bank and the World Trade Organisation.

The yatra entered Maharashtra from Adilabad in the evening, he added.

Refuting the allegation of the BJP that the yatra was aimed at mudslinging against the party, Mr. Reddy said the CPI would continue its campaign against the BJP even after the yatra. Its objective was to oppose fundamentalism of all types -- Hindu, Muslim and Sikh.

Mr. Reddy demanded a judicial probe into the death of five patients at the Kurnool Government Hospital due to non-availability of oxygen cylinders and alleged that the Government is shielding the doctors and para-medical staff at the hospital in the incident. The party commenced a relay hunger strike near the hospital demanding the probe on Thursday after its activists were lathicharged on Wednesday.

The CPI leader also demanded withdrawal of GO 90 bringing Government and teaching hospitals into the fold of the cooperative sector. This was a step towards privatising health services.

Referring to the standoff between journalists and the film industry in the wake of the incident involving film star Pawan Kalyan, Mr. Reddy said journalists should have observed restraint since everyone enjoyed the right to privacy. In any case, the film personalities should not have reacted offensively.

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