Warm reception awaits PM Modi
Political parties like the TD, CPI and CPM have been opposing his public meeting.
Visakhapatnam: While it was earlier expected that PM Narendra Modi would have faced some heat during his visit to Vizag on March 1, the Centre’s announcement of a separate railway zone will change how the PM is received.
On Wednesday, Railways minister Piyush Goyal announced a new railway division – South Coast Railway (SCoR) with Vizag as its headquarters.
Fulfillment of this long-pending demand will most certainly result in a warm welcome to the PM in Vizag, a marked departure from the earlier situation.
Political parties like the TD, CPI and CPM have been opposing his public meeting. They had staged protests in the city demanding the Centre announce a new railway zone with Vizag as its headquarters.
CPM and CPI leaders had on Wednesday, before the Centre’s announcement, jointly organised a rally with a dummy train to highlight the failure of the Central government not granting the railway zone. They raised slogans ‘Modi go back’ and ‘Special Status is a right of AP’.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, members of Pratyeka Hoda Sadhana Samiti led by Chalasani Srinivas staged a protest. Around 100 workers, employees and students participated in the relay strike by tying up their hands with chains as a part of the protest.
After the announcement, Mr Srinivas expressed his happiness at the creation of SCoR with Guntakal, Guntur and Vijaywada divisions. However, he had reservations at Waltair division going to Raygada under East Coast Railway (ECoR).
TD MLAs Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar, P.V.G.R. Naidu, V. Ramakrishna Babu and Anakapalle MP M. Srinivasa Rao hailed the creation of SCoR with Vizag as its headquarters.