TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu has exhorted people to rally behind the party and agitate against the “anti-people” government being headed by the YSRCP as the State’s future is at stake.
“People now repent for giving one chance to Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy (to don the mantle) as it has proved to be detrimental to the State,” Mr. Naidu said while addressing a series of meetings in the Assembly constituencies of Parchur, Addanki, S.N. Padu and Ongole on Wednesday during the Praja Chaitanya Yatra.
Likening the YSRCP rule to the one led by Muhammad bin Tughlaq, who had changed the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad and back, Mr. Naidu said development had come to a standstill due to the “wrong policies” of the YSRCP government.
“The government is putting several restrictions to deny the poor the benefits of welfare schemes such as ration cards, pension and house sites. It has also scrapped the schemes launched by the TDP government without rhyme or reason,” Mr. Naidu alleged.
‘YSR example’
Mr. Naidu wanted Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy to take a cue from his father and former Chief Minister of the combined State Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who, after succeeding him, had continued the TDP’s programmes for the development of Hyderabad.
Exhorting the people to back the agitation being staged by the farmers against the YSRCP government’s move to “kill the Amaravati project,” Mr. Naidu said all the political parties, including the YSRCP, had backed his government’s decision to locate capital in Amaravati.
He accused the government of “misusing the police to foist cases on the TDP cadre under various legal provisions such as the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.
Referring to the downsizing of security to him, Mr. Naidu dared the government to withdraw security cover to him.
“My political career is an open book. I have not amassed any ill-gotten wealth for my family members,” he asserted, adding that the probes launched against him failed to prove any of the charges levelled against him.
Quota for youth
The big-ticket projects such as the sea port at Ramayapatnam and paper mill initiated during the TDP term had not made any progress, Mr. Naidu said, adding 75% reservation for the local people in industrial units served no purpose as the captains of industry shied away from the State. The quota rule also proved detrimental to the unemployed youth, who had been migrating to other States for jobs, he observed.
Gearing up the party workers for the ensuing local body elections, he wanted them to capture on their mobile phones incidents, if any, of inducements offered by candidates of other parties.
The former Chief Minister, who was accompanied by, among others, former Minister Sidda Raghava Rao and TDP MLAs Y. Sambasiva Rao, Karanam Balarama Krishnamurthy and G. Ravikumar, received a rousing reception from the cadre as he launched the State-wide tour from Bopudi in Prakasam district after offering prayers at the famous Hanuman temple in the village.
