Protests, educational institutions’ bandh mark 1,000th day of relay hunger strikes for protection of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant
The Hindu
Peaceful protests in Vizag for 1,000th day for protection of VSP. Leaders of various parties, ex-VCs, Gajuwaka MLA, ex-ministers, ex-MLAs, JSP, CITU, AITUC, CPI, CPI(M), AIDWA, NFIW, Mahila Samakhya, CITU, AITUC, express solidarity. Leaders criticize TDP, JSP for failing to oppose Centre's decision to privatise VSP. Demand Centre revoke decision on VSP.
The educational institutions’ bandh and protests, organised under the aegis of Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee (VUPPC) and Praja Sanghala JAC, for protection of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) was peaceful, with no untoward incidents reported from anywhere in the city, on Wednesday.
While some colleges declared a holiday in advance, in anticipation of trouble, others opened them as police protection was provided. Later, the students were sent out through the backdoor, and the colleges were closed. RTC buses, autorickshaws plied as usual, and most of the shops were opened, except for a few, which downed their shutters.
The relay hunger strikes, being organised under the aegis of the VUPPC, continued for the 1,000th day at the Steel Plant gate at Kurmannapalem, on Wednesday.
Leaders of various political parties and former Vice-Chancellors of various Universities in the State visited the hunger strike camp and expressed their solidarity with the agitating steel workers.
VUPPC chairmen D. Adinarayana, Ch. Narasinga Rao and Mantri Rajasekhar presided.
Gajuwaka MLA Tippala Nagi Reddy underlined the need to protect VSP from going into private hands. Former Ministers Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy said that VSP was the only shore-based steel plant in the country.
Former MLAs Palla Srinivasa Rao, T. Gurumurthy Reddy and Chintalapudi Venkataramaiah, MLC P. Raghu Varma, Jana Sena Party Gajuwaka convener Kona Tata Rao, P. Rakesh Reddy of Congress Party, Praja Santhi Party president K.A. Paul, former V-C V. Bala Mohan Das, senior journalist V.V. Ramana Murthy, Jana Sena trade union leaders K.S.N. Rao, K. Ramana, J. Ayodhya Ram, Y.T. Das, J. Ramakrishna and Varasala Srinivasa Rao demanded that the Centre revoke its decision on privatisation of VSP. The trade union leaders said that they would continue the agitation till the Centre withdrew its decision.