Narayana criticises State government for preventing Opposition from visiting Rushikonda in Visakhapatnam

Something fishy is going on at the place, alleges CPI national secretary

The police officials preventing CPI national secretary K. Narayana and others from going to Rushikonda in Visakhapatnam on Monday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Communist Party of India (CPI) national secretary K. Narayana took strong exception to the State government imposing restrictions on the entry of Opposition party leaders to the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) site at Rushikonda here.

Mr. Narayana along with the CPI workers set out on Monday morning to visit the APTDC site, at Rushikonda, which was being levelled for reportedly taking up construction of tourism facilities by the APTDC.

On receiving information that Mr. Narayana and other CPI leaders and activists were on their way to Rushikonda, the city police stopped their vehicles at Rushikonda Junction by placing barricades and prevented them from going near the hill, where leveling work was being done.

Expressing his anger at the police personnel, the CPI national secretary wondered whether Rushikonda Hill was on the ‘Indo-Pak border’. When Mr. Narayana and the other CPI leaders and activists tried to make their way through the barricades, Assistant Commissioner of Police Srinivas told them that he would not allow them as they had not taken prior permission to visit Rushikonda. Mr. Narayana asked what was the problem of the State government, if the CPI team went to see what was happening at the tourist spot.

The CPI activists raised slogans against the YSR Congress Party government alleging that it was damaging the environment.

Addressing the media on the occasion, Mr. Narayana alleged that the YSR Congress Party government was out to destroy the natural beauty of the city. He said that the State government had obtained permission to undertake development activity in five acres on the hill slopes but dug up over 25 acres around the hill, he alleged.

He also alleged that the digging was being done with machines contrary to the claims of the government that labour was deployed to dig the hill slopes and the government was minting money through the ‘illegal sale of gravel’. He demanded that the government reveal as to where the revenue was going. He warned that destruction of the environment would not be tolerated. He suspected that something fishy was going on at the place as the government was not allowing anyone, particularly the Opposition parties, from visiting the site.

Deploring the attitude of the State government, he said that an agitation would be launched against ‘destruction of Rushikonda’ by roping in the support of the citizens.

CPI district secretary M. Pydiraju, district leaders A. Vimala, K. Satyanjaneya, SK Rahaman, P. Chandrasekhar, R. Srinivasa Rao, S. Murali and Y. Rambabu were among those who participated in the protest.