Form all-party committee to intensify agitation against VSP privatization: Pawan Kalyan to Jagan

Pawan Kalyan met the agitating workers, employees, and leaders of various trades unions at Kurmannapalem and Gajuwaka areas here in Vizag city on Sunday.

Addressing a public meeting, Jana Sena chief said the government has utterly failed to fight against the disinvestment of VSP. The JSP chief said that if the government failed to form the all-party committee within a week and raise the issue with the prime minister, JSP with the support of trade union leaders and workers of VSP would tour every district and intensify the agitation against the privatization move.

The actor-turned-politician said that the primary responsibility of raising the VSP issue with the Centre lies with the YSR Congress government.

But the YSRC leaders have done nothing to save VSP and they are misleading the people. Pawan Kalyan also criticized the TDP for failing to secure captive mines for VSP during its rule.

"YSRC leaders and ministers have been claiming that they have written letters to the Centre and Prime Minister. They have passed a resolution in the Assembly against the privatization move. The move will not work until they fight against VSP privatization," he said.

He said a separate Telangana state was formed when people from all sections of the society joined the movement. Similarly, people and political parties of Andhra need to join hands and fight against VSP privatization, he said.

The plant was not served on a platter. It was the result of a long struggle in which 32 persons sacrificed their lives and 18,000 farmers from 64 villages gave away their 22,000 acres of land in the public interest. The YSRC's MPs and MLAs have to resign from their posts to save the VSP, Pawan added.

Reacting to Pawan Kalyan remarks, Anakapalli MLA Gudivada Amarnath of YSRC Party said that he has no moral right to speak on VSP. "His party is an ally of BJP which has decided to privatize VSP," he said.

The MLA said that the entire state has been fighting against the VSP privatization for over 260 days, but Pawan Kalyan was never been part of it. He stated that Pawan is working on the BJP agenda to criticize the state government although the decision was taken by his partner.

He said that Pawan's words have no meaning because people know that he is a package star.

He slammed Pawan for waking up to the VSP issue after nine months. He said it is another political stunt to bluff people.

Amarnath Reddy said YSRCP has always been opposing the privatization of the VSP. "Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held talks with employee unions and passed a resolution in the State Assembly. Chief Minister also wrote to the Prime Minister twice to reconsider the decision and suggested measures to revive the plant," he said.