Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary N. Lokesh on Friday defined his ‘Yuva Galam” walkathon as a mission to eradicate poverty in Andhra Pradesh and ensure justice to all sections of people by ending the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) rule in the State.
Addressing a public meeting at Kuppam, the bastion of his father and TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu, after launching his 400-day, 4000-km-long padayatra, Mr. Lokesh said he would not relent till the TDP was brought back to power in the State.
Terming Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy as “Jaadu Reddy,” the TDP leader spoke about skyrocketing prices of essential commodities, atrocities against women, growing unemployment, hike in power and fuel charges, and RTC fares, and the travails of farmers.
Scenario during TDP term
During Mr. Naidu’s tenure as Chief Minister between 2014 and 2019, the State had seen an industrial boom and creation of 5.13 lakh jobs in the public and private sectors.
“As a Minister for IT and Panchayat Raj, I had facilitated creation of 40,000 jobs in the IT sector and another 40,000 in the electronics sector. I had played a crucial role in the laying 25,000-km of CC roads and in the erection of 25 lakh street lights. These apart, I had mooting water connection to every household with an outlay of ₹25,000 crore. This is my qualification to launch the Yuva Galam,” Mr. Lokesh said.
Accusing Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy of betraying the youth with the false promises of creating lakhs of jobs and issuing the job calendar annually, Mr. Lokesh said, “Despite boasting of the three-capital move, not a single brick has been laid so far.”
What happened to SCS?
“Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy is afraid of the criminal cases pending against him. That is the reason why he is not forcefully taking up the issue of Special Category Status (SCS) for Andhra Pradesh with the Union government. All the industries are on the verge of leaving Andhra Pradesh and setting up their units in the neighbouring States fearing J-tax. During Mr. Naidu’s term, industries were brought to the State, with a focus on Rayalaseema and Uttarandra development,” Mr. Lokesh said.
Alleging that there was no safety for women, Dalits, and minorities in the State, Mr. Lokesh said that during the last three-and-a-half years, as many as 900 women were subjected to atrocities. About 300 unemployed youth had committed suicide.
“The Chief Ministers promises on the Disha Act and capital punishment for rape and murder of women have remained an eyewash. Hundreds of construction workers have committed suicide. In terms of development, the State has gone backward by 65 years,” Mr. Lokesh said.
Though Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy had promised to create 6,500 constable posts every year and organise a mega DSC annually, not a single job was created so far. His promise of creating a ₹3,500-crore price stabilisation fund also remained on paper, he alleged.
Promise to farmers
The TDP, upon coming to power, would conduct DSC every year, and the youth who had left for other States would be brought back by creating jobs, Mr. Lokesh said, and added that the TDP government would also rejuvenate the irrigation projects in the State, give remunerative prices for all crops, and implement the old sand policy. The TDP would also implement free drip irrigation facilities for the farmers, he said.
Referring to Tourism Minister R.K. Roja’s comments that she would send him “turmeric and bangles,” Mr. Lokesh welcomed the offer, and said, “Women who wear these are not powerless. I will give them to my sisters with due respect and honour them.”
‘Padayatra and ‘Varahi’ are unstoppable’
Concluding his hour-long speech, Mr. Lokesh sprang a surprise and referred to Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief’s proposed campaign on his vehicle, ‘Varahi’.
“The YSRCP government cannot stop either Yuva Galam or ‘Varahi’. We will trample those who obstruct us,” he said.
Mr. Lokesh reiterated that Kuppan would continue to remain the bastion of the TDP and Mr. Naidu.
Earlier, Mr. Lokesh worshipped at the temples of Lord Varada Raja Swamy and Tirupati Gangamamba, and offered prayers at the local church and mosque in Kuppam.
Before proceeding to the public meeting venue, he garlanded the statues of N.T. Rama Rao, Potti Sriramulu, and B.R Ambedkar near the bus stand and on the Netaji Road.
A heavy police force was posted all over Kuppam. A huge congregation of the TDP cadres thronged the tri-State junction from all parts of the State and the neighbouring Telangana and Karnataka.
Former Ministers K. Atchannaidu, G. Butchaiah Chowdary, Somireddi Chandramohan Reddy, N. Amarnath Reddy, and Nimmala Kishtappa, and senior leader Varla Ramaiah were present.
