Visakhapatnam: Naidu is anti-poor, alleges Botcha

Visakhapatnam : Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana pointed out that TDP national president is anti-poor and people of Andhra Pradesh will teach him a befitting lesson in the ensuing polls.

At a media conference held in the city on Saturday in the presence of YSRCP Lok Sabha candidate Botcha Jhansi Lakshmi, the minister criticised that Naidu’s language is changing as his fear of defeat is obvious in the general elections. “Being a former Chief Minister of AP, he is causing a dent to his stature by using abusive language against Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and YSRCP leaders,” Satyanarayana said.

Recalling Naidu’s recent remarks, the minister said, “How can Naidu say that I don’t have a right to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

I had served as an MP earlier and I have every right to point out the Prime Minister and debate over national politics. If my family had ‘political power’ for years as defined by Naidu, how about his family which is enjoying the political power? When we were in the Opposition, we were elected as public representatives and for decades we have been serving the public.

When did Naidu’s family venture into politics? When did his son Nara Lokesh become minister?” responded the Education Minister.

From the manifesto to catchy words used in the campaigning, the minister pointed out that Naidu is copying every aspect of the YSRCP. Speaking on the occasion, Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha YSRCP candidate Botcha Jhansi Lakshmi said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces that he will withdraw privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant before polls, she will withdraw from contesting. “We are not concerned about the posts but resolving people’s issues for good. If people vote for the alliance candidates, it will lead to privatisation of the VSP. Even when the PM came to Anakapalli, he did not bother much about the sentiments of the people of Visakhapatnam as his speech did not include anything related to withdrawing the strategic sale of the VSP,” she mentioned, adding that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is striving hard to protect the VSP from getting privatised.

Supporting the decentralisation move, Jhansi Lakshmi reiterated that Visakhapatnam will be developed as a Tier I city and it will be a growth engine of Andhra Pradesh.

Earlier when she served as Bobbili MP, she spoke about the issues of the VSP as a representative of North Andhra. If given an opportunity, she assured that she would ensure that the privatisation of VSP would be withdrawn.