Visakhapatnam: State government should focus on the development

Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy should focus more on the development of the State rather than resorting to 'vindictive politics,' Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media, the Union Minister said, "Having won a massive mandate, the State government should move in accordance with the people's aspirations and work towards the development of the State. It should refrain from committing similar mistakes done by the previous government."

The Centre was keen on extending its support to develop both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as the center-state relations, he said, should be cordial.

About the alleged harassment of the BJP leaders and workers by the YSRCP, the Union Minister said, "It is not a healthy sign. Such incidents have recently been reported in Guntur, Bapatla, Anantapur, and Srikakulam as BJP workers approached us stating that the YSRCP government continues to harass them."

On religious conversion, Kishan Reddy said a pattern of mass religious conversion was being witnessed. "This kind of trend is highly condemnable. The issue will be brought to the notice of the Centre for appropriate action," he stated.

Elaborating on the abrogation of Article 370, the Union Minister said that unlike earlier days wherein terrorist attacks were frequent in Jammu and Kashmir, the situation is totally different now. "BJP's focus is on 'One nation and one constitution'. In this context, the nation's party's primary responsibility lies in providing a peaceful and secure life to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Though 90% of normalcy has been restored in the region, still a certain degree of tension prevails which would also be sorted out soon. Already, government schools and offices are made operational. Tourists have started trickling in," the Union Minister said.

Finding fault with the government on its decision to introduce English as a medium of instruction in government schools, he said it was not the right move. "BJP never forced people to study in the Hindi medium. Apparently, the choice should be left to the students," he asserted, adding that even in the international conference he attended in Australia, 30 delegates out of 71 countries spoke in regional language.

On the fight against terrorism, Kishan Reddy said Pakistan was encouraging cross-border terrorism and called for a collective effort to curb terror financing that takes the form of drug trafficking and other means. "In 2020, an international conference on 'No money for terrors' would be organised in India as the country is affected by terrorism," he reiterated.

A few of the TDP workers joined the BJP. However, about the movement of North constituency MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao, the Union Minister maintained that it will be announced as soon as they got an official confirmation.

BJP State president Kanna Lakshminarayana, MLC P.V.N. Madhav, former MP K Haribabu and BJP leader Vishnu Kumar Raju, among others took part in the meeting.

Earlier, the Union Minister took part in the Swachh Bharat program and also attended a meeting at GVMC.