TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday expressed shock over the death of workers in the blast at a limestone quarry at Mamillapalle in Kadapa district.
In a statement, Mr. Naidu said many others were injured in the explosion, and demanded that the government announce ex gratia to the next of kin of the deceased on the lines of the one announced for the victims of gas leak at LG Polymers in Visakhapatnam last year.
Demanding that proper medical care be provided to all those who were injured in the blast, Mr. Naidu sought to know why the government had allowed mining works at a time when there was an 18-hour curfew in the State to check spread of COVID-19.
He said a criminal case should be booked against the Chief Minister for his failure to guarantee protection to the lives of the workers.
Virtual protest
In response to a call given by Mr. Naidu, the TDP leaders and supporters staged virtual protests at their homes against what they alleged as the “inefficiency of the YSRCP government in handling the second wave of the COVID-19 effectively."
Holding placards with slogans such as ‘Administer Vaccine, Save Lives’, they alleged that the existing affairs reflected the inefficiency of the government.
TDP State president K. Atchannaidu, former Ministers Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu, Nakka Ananda Babu and K.S. Jawahar, senior leader K. Kala Venkat Rao, Telugu Yuvatha State president Sriram Chinababu and others participated in the protest.
Instead of targeting the Opposition leaders, the government should focus on ensuring vaccination to all sections of people and every age group, they said.
“Universal vaccination is the only solution to prevent loss of human lives,” they observed.
Calling the YSRCP government “anti-people,” they said the ruling party wasted precious time meant for pool up vaccination stocks.
Oxygen shortage
Referring to acute shortage of oxygen and hospital beds, they asked the Chief Minister rise to the occasion.
Referring to the Ministers’ claims that the Chief Minister had written to the Centre seeking supply of adequate stocks of vaccines, the TDP leaders pointed out that the Centre had given flexibility to the States to buy the vaccine directly from the manufacturers.
Many States had placed their orders and booked vaccines in advance, while the rulers in A.P. did not take timely measures to save the lives of its people, they alleged.
