Naidu, Pawan cannot succeed in A.P. if they fail to stop privatisation of Vizag steel plant, says former MLC

Three-day relay hunger fast organised under the aegis of Visakhapatnam district People’s and Labour Unions’ JAC against VSP privatisation concludes

Published - October 04, 2024 12:59 am IST - Visakhapatnam

Former MLC M.V.S. Sarma addressing the protesters at the relay fast camp in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

Former MLC M.V.S. Sarma addressing the protesters at the relay fast camp in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. | Photo Credit: V. RAJU

Former MLC M.V.S. Sarma has said that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan may not achieve anything in the State if they cannot protect the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) from being privatised.

Participating in a programme marking the conclusion of the three-day relay hunger fast organised under the aegis of Visakhapatnam district People’s and Labour Unions’ Joint Action Committee against VSP privatisation, at the Mahatma Gandhi statue opposite the GVMC administrative building in Visakhapatnam on October 3 (Thursday), he described the move as a “conspiracy of the Central government” led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, during his tenure, could not influence the Centre on the issue. Now, Mr. Naidu and Mr. Pawan Kalyan have got a chance to prove their mettle. More importantly, they have an alliance with the BJP. If they fail to protect the steel plant, there will be no success of their governance in Andhra Pradesh,” said Mr. Sarma.

He praised the women activists for participating in the protest.

Recalling that prohibition of liquor in the State was possible because of women’s protests, he said that the role of women’s unions was vital in the protest against VSP privatisation.

“Many public sector units were protected due to protests. Be it stopping bauxite mining in the Agency, merger of Hindustan Shipyard with the Defence sector instead of privatisation or BHPV-BHEL merger, protests played a major role. The VSP will be protected only if the people unite and fight against the power that be,” he said.

Meanwhile, AIDWA State president B. Prabhavathi demanded that the TDP and Jana Sena Party (JSP) put pressure on the Centre to save the VSP, adding that the ruling parties would face severe consequences if they failed to do so.

JAC Chairman M. Jaggunaidu presided over the programme.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.