The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to totally support the ongoing TSRTC strike by the employees unions and participate in agitational programmes as is being decided by all the party joint action committee formed to chart out the next course of action.
National General Secretary Arun Singh, who held a meeting of TS party office bearers on Sunday, informed the media later that in none of the BJP-ruled States, the RTCs were privatised and advised the TRS leaders to “check facts”. He said it was unfortunate that despite the High Court and Governor urging talks, the State government has been adamant and resorting to Draconian measures.
“We will stand by the RTC workers and wholeheartedly participate in the agitation till their just demands are met. Our leaders, including president K. Laxman, have been arrested for joining the bandh. People are fed up with this government,” Mr. Singh said at the meeting.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Laxman blamed the government policies for RTC being in the red and wondered how a public transport facility could be burdened with taxes. He criticised the Chief Minister for going back on his word about RTC made during the separate Telangana agitation. “We will be with the RTC unions as 50,000 families are in distress,” he said.
Mr. Singh is also said to have impressed upon the State leadership to complete the scheduled ‘Gandhi Sankalp Yatra’ across Telangana after it was disrupted due to Huzurnagar by-election and Bathukamma festivities.
TS general secretaries Manohar Reddy and Premander Reddy told a press conference that 150-km padayatras would be carried out by all the leaders including candidates who had contested the Parliament and Assembly polls by the month-end.
“Eradication of untouchability, prohibition and campaign against single-use plastic would be themes during the yatras. Gandhiji’s socialist ideals have a resonance with our party’s fundamentals,” they claimed.
The party while strengthening booth level committee members have targeted 50,000 new members to be admitted in the next couple of months to strengthen it from the grassroots.
