Pamarru, Krishna District:My Padayatra proceeded today through one of the greatest centres of fine arts and culture, Kuchipudi—home to the celebrated dance form. Its reputation worldwide hardly needs to be reiterated. Pamarru constituency is a cradle of one of the greatest forms of culture the world has seen.
Nimmakuru, a village close by, is the birthplace of NT Rama Rao, who rose through sheer dint of his hard work to become a legend in cinema. He then established his own political party, became chief minister and later fell victim to conspiracies, as a result of which NTR went through a lot of grief. These thoughts ran through my mind as my Padayatra proceeded through this constituency.
Yarlagadda Sivayya, a farmer belonging to Totlavallur, met me near Mantada, and said—“Anna, near our village by the Krishna river, they are digging up land indiscriminately and carting away sand and soil. They have dug up to a depth of 30 feet! This has begun to affect our crops because groundwater has become scarce. Lush green fields are beginning to wilt. With great difficulty, after spending lakhs of rupees, I got three bore wells dug for my fields and all three have gone dry! I am neck deep in debt and I suffered a heart attack due to the stress I faced. These sand and soil mafias continue to thrive right under the nose of the Chief Minister. Helpless and having nowhere else to go, I came to you.” I could see how eager people are to put an end to the tyrannical rule of the TDP leaders, who are prospering at the cost of the farmers and the common citizens.
Munga Ramulamma, an old woman from Mantada village, revealed her pathetic state to me. Her hut was razed to ashes a few days ago and her foot was badly burnt. The sight of it made you shudder. The moment she saw me, she wept uncontrollably.
“My husband died five years ago. I have no children and this hut which provided shelter to me, got destroyed in a fire. Everything I had, has turned to ashes. I have not received a rupee as compensation and there is no leader I can turn to. I have not been getting my widow pension for five years and am surviving on the food my neighbours in the hut next door provide me.” Her plight moved me profoundly. What kind of a government is this if it cannot help those who have nothing left and nowhere to go?
Katasani Rambhupal Reddy, a great admirer of my father, the late Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy, joined the YSRCP today along with thousands of his committed followers. He told me that he sincerely believed that I would be able to give the same model of governance which my father provided.
Four years ago, in Tirupati, at the feet of Lord Venkateswara, the ruling parties of today gave a solemn assurance to the people of the state that special category status would be given to Andhra Pradesh. Chandrababu Naidu boasted that he would get SCS to the state for not for five or 10 years, but 15 years! After having deceived the people of the state for four long years and after having buried the cause of SCS to AP, Chandrababu Naidu now plans to hold his “Dharma Porata Sabha”, unfolding a fresh drama in the long series of farces he has staged. This is precisely the reason why YSRCP will observe April 30 as Deception Day in Visakhapatnam.
I have a question for the chief minister—on several occasions I have asked you a few questions relating to special category status. While you conduct your so-called meeting for justice in Tirupati, do you have the integrity and moral courage to answer my questions there?
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