THE CPI(M)
Andhra Pradesh state committee has strongly objected to the
indifferent
attitude of the central and state governments to the
intensifying agitations in
the state. It felt the chief minister and Group of Ministers are
not taking
initiative to solve the problems being raised by the striking
government
employees.
The
two-day meeting of the state committee was held in Party state
headquarters MB
Bhavan on October 10-11, 2013. Addressing the media in the
afternoon of the
first day, Party state secretary B V Raghavulu lambasted the
chief minister for
sleeping on his job even as the common people were suffering due
to agitations,
bandhs, electricity employees strike etc.
A
resolution adopted by the state committee on the present
situation demanded
that the chief minister must immediately take initiative to
arrange a meeting
of the striking employee leaders with central government in
order to resolve
the impasse. It noted that the agitation for maintaining the
integrated state
of Andhra Pradesh that began after the July 30 resolution of
Congress Working
Committee proposing division of state has intensified with the
approval of
cabinet note on October 3. The entire Seemandhra region came to
a standstill
with two-day bandh call. With electricity employees also
beginning an
indefinite strike, power generation and distribution was
seriously affected.
There was a danger of collapse of entire Southern Grid. People
suffered a lot
with even hospitals impacted seriously due to this strike. The
state committee
resolution warned that if things continued in this manner,
people’s lives and
economic affairs of the state would suffer irrevocably.
The
resolution also requested the central government to hold
discussions with the
political parties in the state either individually or jointly.
It also called
upon the political parties to eschew electoral opportunism that
would only
complicate the problems further. Instead they must clearly state
their position
before the people and the Group of Ministers formed by the
central government.
The CPI(M) also wanted the central government to announce a
programme for
holding consultations with those agitating on this issue and
also with all
organisations and individuals interested in expressing their
opinions on this
issue. The
resolution also demanded
immediate alternative measures to overcome the dire situation
arising out of
the indefinite strike by electricity employees with water supply
affected,
hospitals facing crisis and borewell irrigation severely
affected.
Raghavulu
said the centre must move ahead on this issue only after holding
these
consultations. This problem can be solved only by this method,
he felt. Taking
a dig at TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu who is talking of
‘justice’, Raghavulu
demanded that he must first make it clear to the people and
central government
as to what he concretely means by ‘justice’. Also YSRCP
president Jaganmohan
Reddy must make clear how the state would become a desert if it
is divided, as
he is claiming. Similarly BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu must also
tell clearly what
he means by ‘equal justice’ to Seemandhra people. Raghavulu
lambasted these
parties for trying to fool the people in their opportunist
attempt to gain
political mileage. Replying
to a
question, he said the CPI(M) is totally opposed to imposition of
President Rule
in the state. No matter how volatile the situation is, as long
as elected
representatives are there, this option must not be exercised, he
felt.
