Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y.S. Sharmila on May 8 (Wednesday) demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should tender an apology to the people of Andhra Pradesh before stepping into the State.
Addressing the media here, she showed an audio player meant to be presented to Mr. Modi, with an appeal to listen to the ‘Mann ki Baat’ of the people of the State, in a veiled reference to the Prime Minister’s radio address to the public at large. Mr. Modi campaigned for the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance candidates in the State on May 8 (Wednesday).
Taking exception to the visit of the Prime Minister to the State ahead of the elections, she wondered if he had ever visited Andhra Pradesh for launching any developmental project in the last five years. She also hurled a ‘charge-sheet’ carrying ten questions on behalf of the people.
“Apart from not granting the Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh as promised in the A.P. Reorganisation Act, Mr. Modi did not stop Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy from stalling the Polavaram project in the name of reverse tendering and shelving Amaravati as capital,” Ms. Sharmila alleged.
She raised issues such as the privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), lack of progress in Kadapa Steel Plant project, Vizag railway zone, unabated flow of illicit liquor, plundering of natural resources, rampant corruption and diversion of Central funds. “By remaining a mute spectator to these issues, the Centre has proved to be hand in glove with the YSRCP government,” she alleged.
