Student leaders arrested for protest against VSP privatisation

Student and youth leaders in Vijayawada arrested for protesting Centre's decision to privatise Vizag Steel Plant. Leaders demanded Kadapa steel industry and opposed Special Category Status denial. Police confined many to house arrest to prevent them from participating in protest. SFI, AISF, PDSU leaders participated and courted arrest.

At least 20 leaders of various student and youth unions were arrested at the SRR and CVR Government Degree College at Machavaram on Wednesday for trying to enforce a bandh, as part of their “KG-to-PG’ bandh call in protest against the Centre’s decision to privatise the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and in support of their demand for establishment of the Kadapa steel industry.

The student and youth leaders went around the city and enforced bandh in educational institutions. Even as they reached the SRR and CVR Degree College, the police arrested them and shifted them to the Gunadala police station.

Later, speaking to the media, the leaders criticised use of force by the police personnel to remove them from the protest site and claimed that most educational institutions voluntarily closed their schools and colleges as they were opposed to the proposed privatisation move.

Student Federation of India (SFI) State general secretary A. Ashok said thousands of jobs would be lost if the Vizag Steel Plant was privatised. He slammed the BJP government at the Centre for its move and said the party was also responsible for denying Andhra Pradesh State the promised Special Category Status at the time of the bifurcation.

The student leaders also condemned the police for confining many of their leaders to house arrest on Tuesday to prevent them from participating in the protest the next day.

SFI NTR district secretary Ch. Venkateswara Rao, All India Student Federation’s district leader M. Sai Kumar, Progressive Democratic Student Union I. Rajesh and a host of others participated in the protest and courted arrest.