Support pours in for fasting leaders

Kadapa: As the indefinite fast undertaken by Rajya Sabha member C M Ramesh and MLC B.Tech Ravi entered seventh day on Tuesday, TDP activists organised motor-cycle rallies at various places across the district.

Rajampet MLA and government whip M Mallikarjuna Reddy visited the fasting camp in a huge motor cycle rally from Meda Convention hall to Zilla Parishad office, while former minister B Gopala Krishna Reddy’s son B Sudheer Reddy came to the venue from Sri Kalahasti covering 160 km and thousands of people from Karnataka state, led by former MLA Veera Siva Reddy, visited the camp and expressed their solidarity.

The Kadapa-Rayachoti road where the hunger strike camp is located, was packed with large number of people, including party leaders, students and others.

It has become a tough time for police to control the crowds and to regulate the vehicular traffic. Police restricted the entry of vehicles between ZP road and Koti Reddy Circle due to the visit of VIPs to the camp.

TDP ministers who visited the camp on Tuesday flayed BJP, YSRCP and Congress leaders as betrayers. Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as destroyer of democracy, Deputy Chief Minister and revenue minister KE Krishna Murthy said that BJP will be defeated in the forthcoming elections in Rajasthan, Madya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh for betraying Andhra people.

He recalled that Congress had tasted bitter experience with the AP people in 2014 elections. He said Praja Sankalpa Yatra by YSR Congress president YS Jaganmohan will not yield any fruitful results as he joined hands with corrupt politicians and conspirators like BJP. “You never become chief minister because your attitude as opposition leader is unacceptable in politics.

As a responsible opposition leaders you must attend Assembly sessions and highlight the problems faced by the people. But you did not done it instead you are making rounds on roads,” Krishna Murthy said. Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao pointed out that Jaganmohan Reddy has no moral right to criticise TDP as five members from Rajasekahar Reddy family represented Kadapa district in the Assembly and they never put efforts to bring water to Kadapa even to their strongholds like Pulivendula constituency.

He said after TDP voted to power in 2014 elections, pending irrigation projects like Gandikota, Vami Konda, Sarvarayasagar and Chitravathi Balancing Reservoirs were completed and about 52tmc ft of water is being stored.

While recalling his 11-day hunger strike experience during the movement for united state, the minister said it will be difficult to any person to sit in fast for more than 3 days. But CM Ramesh and B.Tech Ravi are determined to continue their stir despite completion of seven days fast. The minister said TDP is going to intensify the stir in various ways until central government announces positive decision.

Marketing minister C Adinarayana Reddy said his party has no objection if the Central government permits Gali Janardhan Reddy to establish the steel plant as there was about 13,000 acres of land available in Jammalamadugu . He said all infrastructure facilities required for setting up steel plant are available in Kadapa district.

Lauding CM Ramesh and B.Tech Ravi for their determination to in continuing the fast, Tourism minister Bhuma Akhila Priya said the future generation would remember their sacrifice.

She urged people to join the agitation in the interest of achieving steel plant. She said with the initiation of Chief Minister, the irrigation projects all Rayala seema districts would have sufficient water for two crops.