Vice-President's intervention sought to prevent VSP privatisation

Visakhapatnam: CPI national secretary K Narayana said Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu should intervene and stop the privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).

Extending his support to the relay hunger strike camp at Kurmannapalem on Friday, he said the Vice-President, who was involved as a student activist in the 'Visakha Ukku-Andhrula Hakku' movement, can stop the privatisation of the VSP.

Narayana made it clear that the privatisation move will not be taken forward if Venkaiah Naidu tries to stop the move of 100 per cent sale. He wondered how the Vice-President can remain silent if the organisation is going into the hands of a private player.

He stated that if the Vice-President did not intervene now, he will have to repent his decision in future. Narayana expressed concern over the Centre failing to respond to the agitations taken up by VSP employees against privatisation of the steel plant.

"Despite our prolonged protests, the Union government is considering measures to privatise the steel plant," he pointed out. The CPI leader also blamed the YSRCP government for posing hurdles to the plan of taking up an agitation in Delhi to exert pressure on the Centre.

"In the garb of consultation with the Union Ministers, the YSRCP had earlier prevented the political parties from AP from staging protest in the national capital," he said. It was a conspiracy hatched against the movement opposing the privatisation of VSP, he alleged. Further, Narayana advised the trade union leaders to soon plan an agitation in Delhi. He said this was the right time for Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to get involved in the movement.