Members of trade unions burn effigy of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Visakhapatnam: Opposing the visit of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to Visakhapatnam, members of different trade unions burnt her effigy here on Saturday.

Raising slogans and expressing their ire over the BJP government's decision to privatise Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), trade union leaders said the Finance Minister lost the eligibility to enter Visakhapatnam as she was a 'traitor' who betrayed Andhra people.

The Opposition party leaders and trade union leaders also staged a protest when she arrived at Visakhapatnam airport on Friday. Condemning the arrest of the leaders, an effigy was burnt under the aegis of the JAC at the Gandhi statue.

Speaking on the occasion, all party trade unions' chairman M Jaggunaidu said it was a wrong decision to sell the VSP that was established following sacrifices of many lives.

Further, he questioned why the Gujarat State-owned oil company, which was running at a loss of Rs 18,000 crore, was being merged with other oil companies and why VSP was being handed over to a private player.

Vice-chairman of all party trade unions Padala Ramana said the BJP would be routed in the Telugu states as well as in the country if it did not stop selling the public sector companies.

CITU city president RKSV Kumar, secretary P Mani, B Jagan, Subbarao and Y Raju participated in the protest.