TD to agitate for Vizag steel plant; asks CM Jagan to intervene

VIJAYAWADA: Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday criticised Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for “mortgaging” all his party 151 MLAs, 22 Lok Sabha and six Rajya Sabha members to the Central government for saving himself from the 31 cases registered by the CBI.

Naidu said that as Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy had the responsibility of saving the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) from falling into private hands. He accused YSRC MPs of sealing their mouths at the behest of CM, instead of speaking against privatisation of the steel plant.

The TD president recalled how the then TD government in AP brought pressure on A. B. Vajpayee government at the centre to protect the steel plant from a similar threat at that time. He demanded that the Chief Minister explain to people why his regime is not taking up any concerted action now.

Naidu maintained that VSP is a jewel-like project won by Telugu people after waging a hard-fought struggle in which over 32 people laid down their lives. He said TD will fight conspiracies of Jagan Reddy gang to buy precious lands of the steel plant at the price of scrap.

The TD chief said in the name of decentralisation and shifting of AP’s capital, YSRC chief has already grabbed hills and hillocks of the port city as well as prime lands. Jagan Mohan Reddy has now set his sights on the steel plant lands, he stated.