The ‘injustice’ done by the Modi-government has not only deprived the State of its due share of development, as promised in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, but is also leading the State into a debt trap, CPI State secretary K. Ramakrishna has said.
Commending all the political parties, which participated in the State-wide bandh called by the Left parties, the CPI leader told the media here on Friday, that it was after several years that all the Opposition parties had united with the common agenda of safeguarding the interests of the State. The united struggle should continue until the Centre came out with categorical assurances on the promises made to the State.
Mr. Ramakrishna appealed to all parties to participate in the roundtable meet to be held in Vijayawada on February 18 for a showdown against the Centre. Apart from leaders of various political parties, there would be representatives of people’s organisations, trade unions and academicians.
The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had also indirectly participated in the bandh by staging protests and rallies. The BJP was the lone party, which had not participated in the strike. He appealed to the BJP leaders from the State to lodge protests with the BJP leaders and the Prime Minister in Delhi, even if they could not directly participate in protests.
Special package
He ridiculed Mr. Narendra Modi for talking a jibe at the Congress for its past mistakes instead on talking on the present situation and honouring the assurances given to the State. The funds promised for the special package to backward districts in North Andhra and Rayalaseema were drastically cut to ₹50 crore a year and though the new railway zone, with headquarters in Visakhapatnam, does not need much funds, it was being inordinately delayed.
Replying to queries, he said that Lok Satta Party (LSP) founder Jayaprakash Nayarayan, JSP president Pawan Kalyan would also participate in the roundtable in Vijayawada. BJP State president and Visakhapatnam MP K. Haribabu would also be invited to the meet.
CPI State leader PJ Chandrasekhar Rao and district leader A.J. Stalin were present.
Published - February 10, 2018 01:16 am IST
