Join agitation for protection of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, CPI(M) urges YSRCP, TDP, JSP

CPI(M) urges YSRCP, TDP & JSP to join agitation for protection of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao has underlined the need for the ruling YSRCP, the Opposition TDP and the Jana Sena Party (JSP) to join the agitation being undertaken by the CPI(M) for protection of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP). He flagged off a North Andhra bike yatra being organised for protection of VSP at the Gandhi statue here on Wednesday.

The bike yatra will tour Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Anakapalli districts and reach Visakhapatnam Steel Plant on September 29.

Addressing the gathering before flagging off the rally, Mr. Srinivasa Rao warned that the CPI(M) and the people of Andhra Pradesh would not tolerate, if the BJP government tried to privatise the VSP. The steel workers, public and representatives of civil society organisations have been holding relay hunger strikes at the Steel Plant Gate and at the Gandhi statue in the city for over 900 days.

He alleged that the Centre was trying to push the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant into losses by reducing the production. It has, however, failed to take its decision on “strategic sale of VSP”, he said and described it as “victory of the workers”. He said that the CPI(M) has already organised agitations for protection of VSP across the State. The bike rally was meant to convert the agitation into a political one, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said.

He demanded that the ruling YSRCP, Opposition TDP and JSP should spell out their stand on the VSP issue. He said that these parties were going to the protest camps by the workers and giving statements but were not trying to question the BJP government on the issue. He said that the BJP government, which was privatising PSUs, has no right to set foot in Andhra Pradesh.

He condemned the BJP and YSRCP governments for burdening the common people by increasing taxes and suppressing public agitations by detaining leaders. He said that all political parties should include protection of VSP in their election manifestoes.

Former Vice Chancellor of Acharya Nagarjuna University V. Bala Mohan Das said that VSP was facing huge financial burden due to non-allocation of captive mines. He described VSP as a key industry for entire Andhra Pradesh and not just North Andhra. Hence, it was the responsibility of the people of the State to protect it, he said.