States Watch

Andhra Pradesh

Naidu Policies Anti-Poor : Pranab Mukherjee

HYDERABAD : The Congress Working Committee member, Shri Pranab Mukherjee lashed out at the Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu for his anti-poor and anti-democratic policies. Shri Mukherjee was speaking at the inaugural session of the state convention of block and mandal level presidents of Congress at the Gandhi Bhawan here on 16 March.

Referring to large-scale irregularities in the Food for Work Programme, Shri Mukherjee said that despite the Centre releasing 32 lakh tonnes of rice to Andhra Pradesh, the state government failed in generating employment to the people of drought-hit areas as TDP leaders diverted the rice to black market. Shri Mukherjee said, from being a model state once in running the state electricity Board and the State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), it had now attained a distinction in ‘self-packaging’ of the chief minister. Shri Mukherjee added that the state has come to occupy number one position in image building exercise without really doing anything. Good governance is a big casualty in this state, he said.

Shri Pranab Mukherjee alleged that the BJP leaders at the Centre were trying to divide the country in the name of religion and by distorting India’s cultural history. "The BJP is promoting the concept of ‘Hindutva’ as cultural nationalism and thereby creating tension in the name of religion", Shri Mukherjee added. Shri Mukherjee thus called upon the party leaders and workers to prepare for a united struggle to face such challenges and work hard to strengthen the party at the grass-root level.

All India Congress Committee general secretary and incharge of state affairs, Shri Vayalar Ravi accused the TDP government of bringing the flourishing and cash surplus state of AP to a ‘pathetic’ condition. Shri Vayalar Ravi also called upon the party cadre to highlight the failures of the TDP government at the village and block level.

AICC chief spokesperson, Shri S. Jaipal Reddy said that the defeat of TDP was essential to prevent the communal forces as the NDA government’s existence itself was largely based on the support of TDP. CLP leader Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy criticised the government for not providing relief to drought-hit areas.

Others who spoke at the convention were AICC secretaries Mirza Irshad Baig and V. Hanumantha Rao, Congress leaders G. Venkatswamy, Member of Parliament N. Janardhana Reddy and Renuka Chowdhary. The APCC chief, Shri M. Satyanarayana Rao presided over the function.

CWC member Pranab Mukherjee flanked by APCC chief Satyanarayana Rao, CLP leader YC Rajshekhar Reddy and other party leaders in Hyderabad.