Ganta Srinivas Rao, the former Andhra Pradesh Minister and a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) stood by his resignation. He said, resignation is the only weapon to stop the Central Government announced Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) privatisation.
Mr. Rao said resignation of MLAs and MPs would help to protect the Visakhapatnam steel plant. He blamed the ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) Government for still not coming forward for the resignations despite the Centre’s announcement. The TDP leaders intensified their agitation after Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Finance Minister of India said, there is no going back and they would privatise the Visakapatnam steel plant.
Speaking to media on the 10th of March, Mr. Rao recalled that in the past, Jagan Mohan Reddy had resigned along with his party MPs over special status and questioned why the resignations were made on that day if the resignations were of no use. He said there was a historic need to protect the steel industry now.
Mr. Rao said, “MPs and ministers need to resign and join the steel movement by which central government will reconsider the decision.”
Ganta Srinivasa Rao said resignation was a strong weapon. He suggested that everyone should fight together against privatisation and demanded Y.S. Jagan that a tough decision be taken to move the movement forward. Meanwhile ,the activists who blocked the national highway for 36 hours at Kurmannapalem in Visakhapatnam, announced that they would suspend protests on the same day in view of the corporation election.
The Visakhapatnam Steel Conservation Combat Committee is planning a special operation to cite the steel movement. On the other hand, a 27 day relay hunger strike continued at Kurmannapalem centre against the central government’s announcement.
Stay tuned for further updates.
