A day after the Union ministries of steel and mines and finance submitting counter-affidavits in the Supreme Court stating that it is not feasible to set up steel plant at Kadapa, the Bharatiya Janata Party was forced to go on the defensive.
The Telugu Desam Party grabbed the opportunity quickly and held large scale agitations across Kadapa district on Thursday. Several organisations and different sections of people including students and youth took part in the road blockades and dharnas in several parts.
Even the Left parties took part in the agitations and in Kadapa town, YSR Congress party also held rasta roko.
Naturally, this was a major embarrassment to the BJP. It was only on Wednesday that BJP Andhra Pradesh unit president Kanna Lakshminarayana submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and one of the points mentioned in the memorandum was setting up Kadapa steel plant.
But with the ministry virtually ruling out the possibility of the Kadapa steel plant, Kanna was on the defensive.
On Thursday, Kanna managed to get a clarification from the ministry stating that the Centre would appoint another task force committee to look into the demand and take a final call.
He quickly addressed a press conference and accused the TDP of misleading the people by taking up agitations.
“The task force is examining the proposal. The steel plant will definitely become a reality,” he said.
But the TDP leaders rubbished Kanna’s statement.
“He is trying to fool the people with false statements. Let the Centre announce that it will set up Kadapa steel plant. We shall stop agitations then,” TDP MP C M Ramesh said.
