The TDP senior leaders, at an online meeting presided by party National President and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, condemned the complacent attitude of the YCP Government with regard to Coronavirus preventive measures. They alleged that the virus infections went up by 400 per cent in the past five weeks even as the epidemic was threatening to spread at a faster rate. At such a juncture, instead of creating required awareness, the Chief Minister, Ministers and MLAs themselves were not wearing masks.
On the other hand, there were no facilities for necessary beds and ventilators in hospitals. Even now, the doctors were not being given PPE protection kits.
The TDP leaders deplored that the Government was covering up its failures by making false claims that it has conducted COVID tests on lakhs and crores of people. Lot of confusion was being created among the people. The Government’s negligence went to such an extent that doctors at the ENT Hospital in Visakhapatnam held a protest dharna for not being provided PPE kits. While the whole world was honouring and showering flowers on frontline soldiers like doctors, they were being ill-treated and humiliated in Andhra Pradesh.
Some TDP leaders expressed concern that AP was facing twin dangers to its socio-economic and political life in these dangerous global epidemic times. On the one hand, Coronavirus was doing bio-destruction by paralysing general public life and disrupting people’s earning capacities. On the other hand, the ruling YCP was doing socio-destruction with its insensitive and indifferent mindset towards immediate problems. CM’s negligent comments like in case of paracetamol stirred up controversies even at the national level.
The Opposition leaders pointed out how Dalit doctor Sudhakar was suspended and humiliated in public on Visakhapatnam streets just for asking for PPE kits. Dead body of a Corona patient was carried in a JCB at Palasa in Srikakulam in a very inhuman way.
The TDP leaders blamed the YCP Government for carrying out a misinformation campaign on MSMEs that it was paying Rs. 3,800 Cr dues towards incentives pending since the TDP regime. In fact, the Government was taking back lands from MSMEs. Already, 106 acres were taken back from MSMEs in East Godavari. The Centre has given Rs 3 lakh crore worth package to MSMEs. But, the AP Government was misusing public funds for advertisements for its publicity while releasing Rs 900 Cr to MSMEs in two phases. In one year, YCP has driven away investments worth Rs. 2 lakh crore.
Stating that corruption became rampant, the TDP leaders said both CM Jaganmohan Reddy and MP Vijayasai Reddy were plundering the State by misusing power for their personal advantage. While CM Jagan was promoting his own companies, Vijayasai was extending benefits to his in-laws’ companies. Over Rs 1,300 Cr worth limestone mines and large water reserves were sanctioned for CM’s own company, Saraswati Power. Wrong reports were sent to the Centre that the 25 acres were not Government lands.
The Opposition leaders said the Centre has allocated 0.038 TMC water, but the Government has increased this allocation to 0.07 TMC. First, the Government made water allocation for 5 years but later extended this allocation for a lifetime. Whereas, good industrialists were driven out of the State. Industrialists themselves were saying that ‘Government terrorism changed AP into South Bihar’.
