*CPI invites YS Jagan to round table meet on drought*

Tadepalli, Sep 24: Senior CPI leaders met former Chief Minister and YSRCP President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at the party’s Central Office in Tadepalli and invited YSRCP to participate in a round-table conference on drought conditions to be held in Vijayawada on September 26.
CPI State Secretary G. Eshwaraiah, senior leaders K. Ramakrishna, National Executive Member Akkineni Vanaja and State Executive Member P. Harinath Reddy were part of the delegation. YS Jagan received the leaders and discussed various public issues with them. YSRCP State Coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy also participated in the meeting. Eshwaraiah formally extended the invitation to YS Jagan for the drought round table.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Eshwaraiah said the CPI, along with farmers’ organisations, was taking up the drought issue and had invited YS Jagan to participate in the campaign. He said YS Jagan responded positively to joining public struggles on people’s issues.
Eshwaraiah said drought conditions were severe across the State. While the government was claiming cultivation over 65 lakh acres, he said cultivation had taken place in only around 50 lakh acres. He called for the situation to be treated as a national calamity and said pressure should be mounted on the government to provide relief to farmers. The present rains might improve groundwater levels, he said, but would not fully restore cultivation.
He said the CPI also sought YS Jagan’s support on the SIR of electoral rolls, objecting to the deletion of votes of people who had migrated for livelihood.
On the DSC issue, Eshwaraiah said the CPI was also fighting over the irregularities and opposed physical attacks on protesters. He said the CPI would support the opposition’s demand for a CBI inquiry, adding that the government should answer the questions being raised instead of responding to protests with attacks.