Naidu may change his stance on VSP given a chance: Amarnath

It is surprising to see the TDP chief join hands with the BJP which is advocating privatisation of the steel plant, says the IT Minister

There is no doubt that the TDPBJPJSP alliance would go ahead with the privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) if given a chance, IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath said.

Addressing a press conference in the city on Monday, Mr. Amarnath, who is the ruling YSRCP’s candidate from Gajuwaka Assembly constituency, said people of the State were well aware of TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu’s history of changing his stance numerous times on various issues, citing the example of how the former Chief Minister who had once vociferously demanded Special Category Status (SCS) for Andhra Pradesh later changed tack by settling for a ‘special package’ from the Centre instead.

“It is surprising to see Mr. Naidu joining hands with the BJP, which has been advocating the privatisation of VSP. Now, he is promising voters that he will stop privatisation of the steel plant. He cannot hoodwink people any longer,” Mr. Amarnath said.

Lashing out at the TDP chief over his remarks made at a ‘Praja Galam’ rally on Sunday, Mr Amarnath said that the number of jobs created in the State and the number of investments brought in by the YSRCP government in the last five years were three times that of what the TDP government had achieved from 2014 to 2019.

“Mr. Naidu has also never come to power in the State on his own. He has always needed the support of other political parties,” Mr. Amarnath said.

He also accused the TDP of being involved in the stonepelting incident on Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in Vijayawada. “Mr. Naidu is unable to digest the response that Mr. Jagan is getting in his public programmes. He has realised that he is going to lose, so he has started resorting to such attacks,” he alleged.

Naidu has never come to power in the State on his own. He has always needed the support of other political parties

GUDIVADA AMARNATH

V. RAJU Tribal women collecting money from motorists going to Araku as part of ‘Itukula Panduga’, a festival organised in the tribal areas of ASR district during this time of the year. Villagers set up temporary barricades and allow vehicles to pass only after they donate money. They do not, however, insist on the amount of money and are happy with whatever they get, even if it is a ₹2 coin.