Political Discrimination In Providing Basic Amenities to People Unfair

Pasalapudi, East Godavari district: As I began my padayatra today, rain welcomed me while scores of people came rushing to me braving the downpour. Their affection further strengthened my resolve to to march on despite the harsh weather in Ramachandrapuram constituency. People from Nelapartipadu panchayat recalled how narrow-minded officialdom had become a curse in their lives.

They said whenever TDP was in power porblems were inevitable. During the TDP rule for 10 years from 1994 to 2004, there were no roads in their village. In 2005 when my father, late Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy got the roads laid, the surrounding villages with large population of poor and backward classes had something to cheer about. In a mark of respect to Dr YSR, the villagers named the highway after him and even got an arch built in his memory. This has turned out to be an eyesore for TDP.

Read: YS Jagan’s Padayatra Completes 2500 Kms

Later with the movement of GPCL Petrochemical company’s vehicles, the highway got damaged. In 2014 the company, under corporate social responsibility (CSR) had sanctioned Rs one crore to rebuild the road and started working on it. But unfortunately for the villages, that year TDP came to power and immediately halted the work just because the highway had been named after Dr YSR. The TDP’s political discrimination has denied basic amenities to 10 villages and 8,000 people. This is reflects political partiality that TDP encourages in the state. Is it fair to show political discrimination in providing basic amenities to public? Should people who have not voted for your party be ill-treated? Are they your enemies?

On several occasions, various communities have accused Chandrababu of cheating them for political gains. Madiga Porata Samiti members are unhappy with Chandrababu because he created a rift between the Mala and Madiga communities, who till then shared a great rapport. The members said that the aim was to divide votes and get the maximum benefit. In fact, he cheated both the communities. "Before elections, Chandrababu had said he belongs to Madiga community, after elections he says does anyone desire to be born in SC community. He said with arrogance and belittled us," they told me.

A young girl Savitriveni, who is pursuing her engineering course, recently attained the age to vote. She came to me said, "Anna… my first vote is to you." She confidently said that the youth would always support me because of my relentless fight for Special category Status to AP.

Despite rains, even the physically disabled people came to meet me on my padayatra. Hearing their woes, it's easy to see how politically biased the ruling party is. Marishetty Ruthamma had got her son named after my father during my Odarpu Yatra. It happened long ago, but the ruling TDP was still keeping that in mind and showing their anger towards this disabled woman. Apart from not being given pension, even her ration card has been scrapped. Similarly, Abbayamma, who is 80 per cent physically handicapped has not beem paid pension. Their stories pain me.

The case of handicapped is no different. This is a disturbing scenario. On the other hand, Chandrababu is claiming to have fulfilled all the promises without any political bias and this is being publicized by his yellow media. This is ridiculous.

My question to the chief minister: Democracy means people's right to vote for a person of their choice. But is it not unfair to harass those who didn't vote for you? Your party indulging in political discrimination is not a democratic practice. Are you not making a mockery of democracy? After seeing you buy our party MPs and MLAs like animals in the market with ill-gotten money, what more can  people expect from you?