VIJAYAWADA: Ruling YSR Congress has accused Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan of misleading people on Ippatam, saying no houses have been demolished in the village.
“Only structures constructed on government lands have been removed. Majority of these belonged to YSRC supporters,” housing minister Jogi Ramesh maintained on Saturday.
Addressing a press conference here, he said the first phase of road widening work in Ippatam village had started in April–May. Compound walls and other structures on encroached lands had then been removed for road widening and side drains.
“Now, only structures constructed on government lands have been removed,” the minister underlined.
Jogi Ramesh alleged that Telugu Desam, Jana Sena and other parties, along with a section of the media, are spreading misinformation that during the demolition in Ippatam, idols of Mahatma Gandhi and Indira Gandhi have been destroyed and thrown as garbage.
He clarified that these idols have been kept in safe custody at the panchayat office and will be reinstalled after completion of the road-widening works.
The minister declared that Naidu has no moral right to talk about demolitions, as he uprooted thousands of houses during the Pushkarams. The former chief minister did not spare even temples and idols of Gods in Vijayawada. He recalled that Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Ibrahimpatnam had been removed and thrown into Budameru Canal.
Jogi Ramesh objected to Pawan Kalyan’s statement of pulling down the government of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He pointed out that Jagan has come to power only after winning support from the public.
