Roadshow to welcome PM Modi to Vizag Steel plant

Vishakapatnam: The state unit of the BJP will organise a roadshow to accord a grand welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 11, party president Somu Veerraju has said.

Addressing a press conference in Visakhapatnam on Monday, Veerraju said the party leaders have proposed two routes -- one from Old ITI (NAD) to Ammavari  temple and another on the RK Beach Road.

“We submitted the proposals to the party high command in New Delhi and the leaders will decide as to which route is better for the roadshow,’’ Veerraju said.

The BJP chief said on November 12, before launching the new projects here, the prime minister might hold a discussion with senior state-level leaders of the BJP. The Modi visit would be used by the party to tell the people that all the recent developmental initiatives in Visakhapatnam were done at the behest of the central government, he said.

“The state government, under YSRC rule, did not take up any development except for supporting the mafias that have taken over the rackets in sand business and land-grabbing,” he said.

“Unemployment scenario remains worse. There is no job calendar, no talk of mega DSC and no filling of police department posts. The chief minister also diverted the SC sub-plan funds,” the BJP chief alleged.

The BJP, on its part, is organising ‘Sampark Abhiyan in Dalit Hamlets’ programme of the party in all the districts for the benefit of the SCs. The one that we held in Kadapa the other day was obstructed by the ruling YSRC members,” he said.

Asked whether the BJP would be inviting Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan for the public meeting, Veerraju said the party has invited all the political parties for their participation in the PM’s meeting.

Asked about the special category status (SCS) and privatization of the steel plant, Veerraju said former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu had collected `7,500 crore as a special package for AP instead of the special category status. “SCS and the steel plant privatization issue are now part of history,’’ said Rajya Sabha member GVL Narasimha Rao.