Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday assured families of three Telugu Desam party’s tribal leaders who have been kidnapped by the CPI (Maoist) in Visakha Agency on Monday last demanding that the government must drop its plans for bauxite exploitation, that all efforts would be made to bring them back safely.
Family members of TDP mandal unit president Mamidi Balayya Padal, senior leader Vandalam Balayya and district committee member Mukkala Mahesh met Mr. Naidu at the Circuit House here along with former Tribal Welfare Minister M. Manikumari and Superintendent of Police Koya Praveen.
The Chief Minister also said no decision was taken yet on bauxite mining.
Talking to reporters later the wives and children of the three TDP men and Ms. Manikumari said they told the Chief Minister that the three were loyal workers of the party and their fate was in his hands and urged him to take a decision on bauxite mining which the Maoists were strongly opposing and also put the lives of their family heads in peril.
Ms. Manikumari expressed her anguish over the State government or the party not responding to the kidnap incident in the way they should. As the deadline was approaching it was for Mr. Naidu to take a decision.
The Maoists had extended the deadline by a day, to October 14 after she resigned from the party’s three-member committee for the Paderu Assembly segment. In 2004 itself when she was the Tribal Welfare Minister the party had decided not to go for bauxite mining but the party men are being targeted since the party is back in power, she said.
TD men to quit
Ms. Manikumari hoped party would not play with the lives of its leaders and workers in the Agency area.
“Out future course of action depends on Mr. Naidu’s decision. If nothing tangible is done all the party leaders and workers in Agency mandals would quit the party because there is no need to continue as leaders and with the party if we cannot protect the lives of our people,” Ms. Manikumari said.
She was also critical of the district leadership and district Ministers not coming out openly on the kidnap issue. MLC and former MP P. Chalapathi Rao said at Paderu he would take up the issue with the State leadership while Panchayati Raj Minister Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu was not happy with her for quitting the three-member Assembly segment committee without consulting senior leaders.
Tne Telugu Desam functionary who came with the families of abducted party men said the Agency and Girijans were totally neglected.
Even one week after the kidnap there was no response from the party leaders or government but when Aditi was washed away in a drain in the city the whole State reacted, he said.
