After dashing off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Kadapa steel plant, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu gave a call to people of Andhra Pradesh to extend support to the dharna being organised by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs in New Delhi on June 28.
Addressing a teleconference on the steel plant issue on Monday, Mr. Naidu said that the Telugus have to draw inspiration from the ‘Visakha ukku-Andhrula hakku’ (Steel plant at Visakhapatnam is Andhra Pradesh people’s right) agitation of the 60s. The protest compelled the Union government to concede the demand. Now, the slogan should be ‘Kadapa ukku-Andhrula hakku.’The fight for the steel plant should be continued until the goal is achieved, he said.
Three-day protests would be organised across the State in support of the MPs’ protest. Motorcycle rallies would be taken out in all the districts on Tuesday. Other forms of protest, including dharnas, would be staged.
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Rajya Sabha member C. M. Ramesh, MLC Mareddy Ravindranath Reddy (B.Tech. Ravi) were observing hunger strike to highlight the demand. People were coming voluntarily to extend their support the hunger strike, he said, adding, every Telugu should join hands and fight for the cause.
‘Bid to favour Gali’
The State government had written umpteen letters on the plant to the Centre. The issue was also raised in Parliament, but the Centre did not make any commitment. In sharp contrast, the State government gave proper replies to Task Force queries and promised that mines would be reserved for the plant, apart from providing railway track, power, water and other incentives. Though MECON favoured setting up of the plant, the Central government filed an affidavit against the steel plant in the Supreme Court, he said.
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The Centre was going back on the steel plant though it was assured under the AP Reorganisation Act. There was no need to make a mention in the Act, if the Centre had plans to entrust the same to Gali Janardhan Reddy.
The BJP leaders were dilly-dallying on the steel plant with the sole intention of handing over the project to Mr. Janardhan Reddy, he alleged.