AP on fire over Centre stand on steel plant

Amaravati: Taking serious exception to the Centre for its declaration in its affidavit filed with the Supreme Court that setting up of steel plant in Kadapa is not economically feasible, political parties and people's organisations took to streets on Thursday in Kadapa district, denouncing the BJP government's step-motherly attitude to the state.

Leading the charge was Telugu Desam Party, which staged rasta rokos and dharnas in several towns in Kadapa district, raising anti-BJP slogans and demanding location of steel plant in the district. The protestors raised slogans - Kadapa Vukku, Rayalaseema Hakku - at Mydukuru. Elsewhere in the district, rallies were taken out. In Proddatur, TDP leader N Varadarajul Reddy led a procession against the NDA government.

Earlier in the day in Amaravati, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu grew angry with the Centre for denying the steel plant for Kadapa district and asked the local leaders to organise rallies and dharnas. The TDP described the denial as politically motivated and sought to know from BJP president K Lakshminarayana whether it was not his failure in preventing the Centre from taking the anti-people decision.