YSR Congress launched protest programs all over the State against the hike in the power charges. As part of it, party’s honorary president Vijayamma took part in the dharna at Sattenapalli in Guntur district, where her daughter Sharmila was continuing her ‘Maro Praja Prasthanam’ padayatra.
Speaking on the occasion, Sharmila said the power problem had arisen only because the government had no foresight. She lamented that farmers were facing untold suffering because of the indiscriminate power cuts. She said it was atrocious that the government was not responding to people’s problems because of the power shortage.
Referring to the promises of Naidu that he would waive farmers’ loans, Sharmila questioned why he had not done it when he was chief minister. She has alleged that Naidu, instead of acting as Leader of Opposition, was acting like a villain. She said he would know what the people’s sufferings were like, if he went to them. She also alleged that false cases were foisted against her brother Jagan, as they did not want him to grow politically. She assured that Jagan would come out of jail and bring back rule of Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. She said that none can stop the sun from rising. She said though every day they were asking Naidu to move a no-confidence motion against the Kiran Kumar Reddy government, he was not doing so as he was in collusion with the ruling party.
Vijayamma said the incompetent government had announced a power holiday. She said several industries were closed because of the power problem, throwing thousands onto the roads. She also said the compensation due to the farmers because of natural calamities, including the recent cyclone, was not paid. She said farmers were selling their kidneys to surmount their financial problems. She faulted the government for not making advance preparations to face the power crisis.
Stating that no meaner a chief minister was witnessed by the State, Vijayamma alleged that TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu had totally ignored the people’s problems during his nine years rule. Referring to the allegations Naidu was making against her late husband, Vijayamma questioned if he could honestly say that YSR was corrupt. She said Babu had the dubious distinction of sucking the blood of the people. She counseled him to change his style of functioning. Vijayamma reminded that her late husband had provided power without increasing the power charges even by a single rupee. She too alleged that Congress and Babu colluded to send Jagan to jail.
Earlier Sharmila started her padayatra from the Mulim Bazaar in Sattenapalli. She received warm welcome from the Mulim clergy, who presented her a copy of the Holy Koran. She took part in the dharna of the party at the ‘Adu Lantarla Junction’. (NSS)