Bandh, protests against privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant peaceful

A protest being staged by the VUPPC on the eve of the 1000-day of the agitation for protection of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant at Kurmannapalem, in Visakhapatnam, on November 7.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

The educational institutions’ bandh and protests, organised under the aegis of Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee (VUPPC), for protection of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) was peaceful, with no untoward incidents reported from anywhere in the city, till noon on November 8.

While some colleges declared a holiday in advance, in anticipation of trouble, others opened them as police protection was provided. Later, the students were sent out through the backdoor, and the colleges were closed. RTC buses, autorickshaws plied as usual, and most of the shops were opened, except a few, which downed their shutters.

Leaders and activists of the Left parties, CITU and AITUC formed a human chain, at the Gurajada statue, near RTC Complex, and staged a protest for about an hour. CPI leader Marupalli Pydiraju, CPI(M) leaders B. Ganga Rao and R. K. S. V. Kumar and other speakers decried the Modi government’s adamant attitude on its decision to go for “strategic sale of VSP”, and to handover the public sector Visakhapatnam Steel Plant to corporate groups.

They recalled that the steel plant was set up following long drawn struggles and 32 precious lives being lost in the police firing. They sought that the YSRCP government, which wants to make Visakhapatnam as executive capital of Andhra Pradesh, should insist on the Centre to withdraw its decision on privatision of VSP.

They also criticised Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president N. Chandrababu Naidu for trying to rub shoulders with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, instead of opposing the decision on ‘sale of VSP’. Similarly, they ridiculed Jana Sena Party (JSP) president Pawan Kalyan’s eagerness to forge an alliance between the BJP and the TDP, while failing to make any attempt to use his rapport with the Prime Minister to make him revoke his decision on VSP.

Meanwhile, the agitation for protection of VSP continued for the 100th day at the Steel Plant gate at Kurmannapalem, on Wednesday.

VUPPC leaders and activists took out rallies and staged protests against the Centre’s decision on privatisation of VSP. The trade union leaders say that they would continue the agitation till the Centre announces revocation of its decision.