Warangal: RTC strike is historic, say CPI top leaders

Warangal/Jangaon: Communist Party of India (CPI) National Secretary K Narayana and State Secretary Chada Venkat Reddy have criticised the KCR government for turning Telangana into a suicide State. Both the leaders, who extended their support to the protesting TSRTC employees, whose stir entered 32nd day on Tuesday, launched a broadside against the TRS government for ignoring the justifiable demands of the RTC staff. It's awful to see Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, who hails from a Communist family, working against the cause of RTC staff, the leaders said.

"The CPI is opposing the government's move to privatise 31 percent routes. We will not allow the government's designs to throw out the employees who have been fighting for the cause of RTC," Narayana said.

Referring to the ultimatum issued by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to the RTC employees to join their duties by Tuesday, he told the staff to ignore such deadlines and stick firmly to their stand. The Opposition parties are with the RTC staff, he added.

"Leaders such as T Harish Rao and Eatala Rajender, who fought for separate Telangana, have not spoken a single word against the RTC strike. But leaders only those who joined the TRS for power were talking against the RTC strike," Venkat Reddy said.

The ongoing strike of the RTC employees will remain as a milestone in the history of the working class.

The strike is not illegal as claimed by KCR and the strike has the support of several trade unions across the country, he added. He found fault with the TRS government for not trying to resolve the ongoing strike by holding talks with the employees.

Referring to the deadline for the RTC staff, he said that its nothing but a self-imposed one by KCR. Senior leader Thakkallapally Srinivas Rao was among others present.

Earlier, the leaders attended a programme in which the statue of Comrade Nalla Narsimhulu was unveiled by Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao at Jangaon.

Narayana, who along with Venkat Reddy met the employees in Hanamkonda, said that KCR had conspired to push the RTC into debt trap so that he could privatise the Corporation with ease.

"It's not possible for KCR to oust the 50,000 employees in the name of losses and strike. It remains to be seen that whether KCR saves RTC or loses his Chief Minister post," Narayana said. He alleged that KCR was trying to bestow the RTC assets to some of his close associates.