Naidu slams CM for not meeting Ukku protestors during latter's visit to city

Visakhapatnam: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu criticised Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for not meeting the agitators at the relay hunger strike camp in Kurmannapalem during his visit to the city last time.

Addressing the gathering at the roadshow held on the second day of his two-day visit to Vizag at Gajuwaka on Saturday, Naidu pointed out that the CM had time to meet the pontiff of Visakha Sri Sarada Peetham Swaroopanandendra Saraswathi Swami but not the protestors fighting against the privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. "It's an insult to the trade unions who have been putting up a relentless battle to save the plant from disinvestment," he reiterated.

Even during former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's regime, Naidu recalled, VSP was proposed to be privatised. "However, the proposal did not march forward because the then TDP government did not allow it to happen, considering the sentiments of Andhra people. The Vajpayee government not only withdrew the proposal but also had come forward to offer financial assistance to pull the plant out of losses," Naidu recalled.

The TDP chief mentioned that people need not wonder if Jagan-led state government might soon charge a tax for 'breathing'.

Naidu was accompanied by state TDP president K. Atchannaidu, mayoral candidate Peela Srinivasa Rao, among others.