Vijayawada: Former Minister Merugu Nagarjuna has strongly condemned the TDP-led government’s alleged attempt to privatise the Ambedkar Smrithi Vanam under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, accusing it of conspiring to erase Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s legacy. He recalled that the Rs. 450 crore project was launched by former CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to honour Ambedkar’s vision and values.
On the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanthi, YSRCP leaders paid floral tributes to the 125-ft bronze statue at Swaraj Maidan and criticised the state government for neglecting the memorial. They alleged that the site suffers from poor maintenance, lack of electricity, and deliberate inaccessibility.
Malladi Vishnu lambasted the government for leasing parts of the premises for non-related events and failing to provide basic facilities. He also noted that no government official had visited the memorial in the past ten months.
District President Devineni Avinash expressed concern over increasing atrocities against Dalits under the current administration and said Ambedkar’s principles were only respected under Jagan Mohan Reddy’s leadership.
YSRCP leaders demanded immediate steps to protect the Ambedkar Smrithi Vanam from being handed over to private interests.
