We Shall Fight Till The Railway Zone Is Accomplished

• Gudiwada Amarnath’s indefinite strike commences
• YSRCP senior leaders begin the strike
• Political parties and various people’s organizations support the cause

Visakhapatnam: YSR Congress Party senior leader and ex.minister Botsa Satyanarayana called for united fight in view of attaining the special railway zone for Visakhapatnam. As no proper response was received from the central Government regarding the special railway zone, YSRCP district president of Visakhapatnam, Gudiwada Amarnath took up indefinite hunger strike on Thursday. Party senior leaders Botsa Satyanarayana and Ambati Rambabu initiated the strike on the occasion of 125^th birth anniversary of the principal architect of the Constitution of India Dr.BR Ambedkar.

Party leaders Botsa Satyanarayana, Ambati Rambabu and Gudiwada Amarnath decorated the statue of Dr.Ambedkar at Daba Gardens of Visakhapatnam with flower garlands at 11 am and paid homage to him. Then Amarnath began indefinite hunger strike at the camp set up near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi opposite GVMC.

Injustice of the Government should be fought against

With the slogan of “Visakha Ukku Andhrula Hakku” (Visakha’s steel is the right of the people of Andhra), the people of Andhra had fought and achieved the steel plant, stated Botsa Satyanarayana. With the same level of determination, it was time for raising slogans for the accomplishment of special railway zone, he said. Botsa remarked that the railway zone was not only a long-time dream but also the ray of hope for the people of North Andhra region. He proclaimed that the injustice of the leaders of the Government in suppressing the promise mentioned in the bifurcation law for two years must be defeated with united movement.

He reminded that the people of the area had been awaiting the railway zone for five decades. Botsa also explained that the leader of opposition and YSRCP president YS Jagan had submitted memorandums in multiple occasions to the leaders in Delhi, requesting for special railway zone for Visakhapatnam. He slammed the state and the central Governments for ignoring the promises of railway zone mentioned in bifurcation law for two years. Amarnath had taken up the indefinite hunger strike with view of the state’s benefit and not because of selfishness and political self-benefit, Botsa mentioned. He appealed for support from all classes of people irrespective of parties.

YS Jagan encouraged the strike: Ambati Rambabu

YSRCP’s official spokesman Ambati Rambabu informed that YSRCP president YS Jagan had encouraged and extended his relentless support when YSRCP leader Gudiwada Amarnath had come forward with the intention of doing indefinite strike for achievement of Visakha railway zone. He added that YS Jagan had suggested that he went forward gathering the support of all the political parties and all the social classes. He expressed his displeasure towards the lack of support from TDP and BJP Governments for this movement.

Ambati stated that everybody had felt sad at the time of bifurcation. He mentioned that the Telugu state had been divided into two for the selfishness of certain people. When some people had expressed concern about the people of Andhra facing loss due to the bifurcation, it was promised that Polavaram project would be built by the centre to compensate the loss up to some extent. Ambati also reminded that the bifurcation law mentioned grant of special railway zone for Visakhapatnam. He also added that Chandrababu Naidu and Narendra Modi had done the same promise yet again at the time of elections in 2014and earned votes.

Ambati commented that the leaders who had promised the railway zone’s sanction within 6 months of getting into power, had been ignoring it even after two years of completion of tenure. Upon YSRCP’s demands, TDP Government had bluffed that the zone would soon be sanctioned but nothing was done in reality, he complained. Ambati commented that TDP did not dare to bring pressure on its ally BJP. He specified that Babu was scared of being exposed in the cases of ‘note for vote’ scam and other corruptive scams.

Ambati mentioned that Gudiwada Amarnath had started the strike with a hope that Visakhapatnam railway zone would aid in the development of the state. He criticised the ruling party leaders for passing unfair comments and asking why a strike was not being done for Vijayawada’s special railway zone. He reminded that Vijayawada’s railway zone was never in picture but Visakhapatnam’s was. He called for the same intensity of fight from the people of Visakhapatnam as at the time of ‘Visakha ukku-Andhrula hakku’ movement and stated that this time the slogan would be ‘Prathyeka zone Visakha hakku’ (Special zone is Visakhapatnam’s right). Ambati confided that this was only the beginning of the fierce fight yet to continue. He demanded that the Government came down at least now and accept the request for the railway zone.

YSRCP conveners Tainala Vijay Kumar, Kola Guruvulu, CEC member Dama Subbarao, Satti Ramakrishna Reddy, party’s official spokesman Koyya Prasada Reddy, party’s state general secretaries John Waisley, Hanoc, Ravireddy, Sivarama Krishnaiah and others participated in this event.

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