Naxals support some parties: Naidu

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JUNE 29. The TDP president, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, said here today that naxalite groups were supporting certain political parties in the elections and thwarting development of the State.

Declining to name these parties, he recalled the extremists' statement vowing to support those who espoused the cause of separate Telangana. Asserting that evidence of this nexus would be available during the poll campaign, he said that the Congress and other parties were retarding the growth of AP's economy by raking up the Telangana issue. This was reflected in the fall in real estate value in Hyderabad and Rangareddi districts, he said.

Addressing a press conference after releasing the TDP's election manifesto, Mr. Naidu said naxalites had declared a `ban' on TDP and BJP, killed their functionaries and warned the officials not to visit villages. It was ironical that those leaders who had fled the rural areas out of fear of naxals were now criticising his Government for doing nothing in Telangana. He was prepared for an open discussion on the performance of his six-year-old Government. Mr. Chandrababu Naidu attacked the Congress for its stand that free power supply to farmers was feasible, its admission that the party's support for Jharkhand, Uttaranchal and Chattisgarh was a mistake (since denied by the APCC president, Mr. M. Satyanarayana Rao) and its criticism about tardy development of the irrigation sector.

He described as `irresponsible' the contention that free power supply was feasible in Andhra Pradesh but not in Congress-ruled Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. Karnataka was unable to supply power to farmers for more than 5 to 6 hours whereas the Congress in Madhya Pradesh had reneged on its pre-poll promise of giving power free of cost. ``I challenge them to compare the power supply situation in AP and Karnataka,'' he said. Mr. Naidu said the Congress leaders would only be too happy if the State did not develop. They knew that financial institutions would starve Andhra Pradesh of funds if free power was given.

He alleged that the Congress had tried its best earlier to prevent establishment of the Indian School of Business and the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Hyderabad. They were up to the old game of raking up sensitive issues whenever the State was cruising on the path of development. ``But I am determined to develop backward areas and eradicate poverty,'' he said.

Referring to the controversy over GOMs 610 ordering reversion of Andhra employees working in Telangana, he said all the violations of the six-point formula were committed when the Congress was in power and it was NTR who ordered officials to adhere to the principle of regional recruitments.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Next     : TRS to submit memo to Governor