Left leaders, TDP, YSRCP extend support to AB employees

Vijayawada: Leaders of Left parties, CPI and CPM, ruling YSRCP and Opposition TDP and Andhra Bank employees on Thursday demanded that the Union government withdraw the decision to merge Andhra Bank with the Union Bank of India. The leaders of these parties participated in a Maha dharna staged by Andhra Bank employees near the Zonal Office in One Town on Thursday.

The leaders said Andhra Bank was the pride of Telugu people and demanded that the bank should be continued as usual or Union Bank of India and other banks should be merged with Andhra Bank. The dharna was staged under the aegis of Andhra Bank Award Employees Union.

CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna demanded that the BJP government should answer the people why the government is going ahead to merge Andhra Bank with Union Bank. Addressing the gathering, K Ramakrishna asked as to why the State BJP leaders are mum on the issue of merger of Andhra Bank with Union Bank of India.

Ramakrishna hoped that the move would be aimed to close more bank branches with the merger. He recalled 9,000 bank branches were closed when some banks were merged with SBI three years ago.

He said Andhra Bank was founded by Bhogaraju Pattabhi Seetaramaiah to serve the people and farmers but the BJP government was trying to help the corporate bodies by merging the bank with Union Bank of India.