Stand up for VSP, BMS tells BJP leaders

Hyderabad/Visakhapatnam : Andhra Pradesh State BJP leaders are coming under heat as the RSS-affiliated trade union leaders are unhappy that the state BJP leadership was behaving like mute spectators on the issue of privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).

Speaking to Hans India, a state leader of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), an arm of the RSS, has made it clear that the workers union was against the indiscriminate privatisation of the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). This was also voiced during the recently held conference of the BMS at Patna.

As far as Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is concerned, the BMS union leader said privatisation is not acceptable to them. BMS, he said, had earlier joined the ranks of all the unions not allowing POSCO to enter into the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).

"Unlike other unions, we understand the changing economic landscape. But, the issue with VSP is that it is an asset to Andhra Pradesh," he said. The state had to bear the brunt of the bifurcation in 2014. The VSP, directly and indirectly, supports the livelihoods of about a lakh of families and pays GST to the government. The state BJP should understand that the government and party are different. When it's the state's interest, the AP BJP leaders should stand up in support of VSP. They should go to people and make their stand clear on the issue and come up with alternative recommendations if the party must grow in the state.

BMS leaders opine that the AP BJP leaders should take a leaf from their Telangana counterparts. See how they are impressing the national leadership and convincing them to get projects to Telangana, they added.