Andhra MPs must fight for VSP and save it: Jagga Reddy

Vijayawada: TelanganaPCC working president T Jagga Reddy on Saturday called upon MPs from N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP), YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party and Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party to fight for the Vizag steel plant and save it.

Speaking at a media conference here in the presence of AP Congress working president Mastan Ali, he advised partymen to make Rahul Gandhi PM to save VSP. ‘Elect 20 MPs from Andhra Pradesh; protect VSP worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore,” he said.

Reddy maintained that VSP “is the right of Andhra people” is a slogan with a long history; it belongs to Andhra people and must be protected; it was because of the Vizag Steel movement that Venkaiah Naidu rose as a national-level leader; VSP, started by Indira Gandhi with Rs 14,000 crore, has now grown into an asset worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore.

The senior Congress leader alleged that PM ’has cast his eye on this valuable VSP and conspiracies are being hatched with malicious intent to hand it over to someone; Jagan and CM Chandrababu have both failed to protect the steel plant; Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, who is close to Modi, went to Vizag and met the workers, but there was no result. Reddy questioned “despite having so many leaders in AP, can’t they protect VSP”.

He said MPs from the parties of Jagan, Chandrababu and Pawan Kalyan must fight for the plant and save it. “Even knowing the party would suffer losses in both States, Congress honoured its word and carried out state bifurcation; now it will once again keep its promise by protecting the steel plant. Elect 20 MPs from AP in 2029, and Rahul Gandhi will become PM; privatisation of VSP will be stopped,” he said.

Reddy stated that ‘during bifurcation, I alone opposed the division of the State; therefore, I have full rights to speak in AP. I practice value-based politics, and AP’s development is also important to me”. He quipped ’KCR went to Jagan’s house and ate fish curry; Jagan went to KCR’s house and ate chicken curry. CM Revanth Reddy will not stoop to such behaviour. My desire is for both States to develop and for people to live well.’