Former Minister and Telugu Desam party (TDP) leader Ayyanna Patrudu questioned Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s silence over the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) privatisation issue. He said that what stops Mr. Jagan to pass a resolution in the Assembly against the Centre’s decision.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Mr Ayyanna Patrudu said that if Mr. Jagan really intends to stop privatisation of the VSP, he must immediately call for an all-party meet and pass a resolution in the Assembly.
The TDP leader also criticised Rajya Sabha member V. Vijaya Sai Reddy for organising padayatra on the issue and added that it is for deriving political benefit. “If Mr. Vijaya Sai is really concerned, he and his MPs should stage agitations in New Delhi,” Mr. Ayyanna Patrudu said.
The TDP leader said that before elections, Mr. Jagan has asked people to give him MPs, so that he would fight with the Centre. But after having 28 MPs (including those in Rajya Sabha), Mr. Jagan is not able to put forward the demands, probably due to fear of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.
Mr. Ayyanna Patrudu criticised BJP leader Somu Veerraju and questioned why he and his party members have not met Mr. Modi till now.
TDP official spokesperson Pattabhi alleged that the YSRCP had willingly hid the details of the VSP privatisation from the public since they have vested interests. He alleged that parliamentary standing committee on industry gave a report in March 2020, but YSRCP MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy, who was a member of that committee, did not raise his voice against the VSP privatisation plan.
He alleged that Mr. Jagan and Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy telling lies that YSRCP had no knowledge about the privatisation plan.
