OWING to the division of state, Chandrababu Naidu has got the chief ministerial status, but the state of Andhra Pradesh had not yet got the special status, remarked BV Raghavulu, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M), satirically while addressing a public meeting in Bhimavaram on the occasion of the CPI(M) state committee meeting held from June 7-9, 2016.

Prior to the commencement of  the meeting, a huge rally was taken out in the thoroughfares of Bhimavaram Town in which hundreds of Party cadre participated. The town was painted red with posters and flags, and with the dresses of the cadre. The workers from various villages and towns in the district reached Prakasam Chowk in a procession from the railway station and enthusiastically participated in the rally, rendering slogans – Socialism Zindabad and CPI(M) Long Live.

While addressing, Raghavulu  criticised both the BJP and the TDP governments for their utter neglect of the problems of the people in the state of AP. CPI(M) had cautioned long ago that the bifurcation of the state will lead to a lot of problems for the people, he reminded. The TDP and other parties wanted the division of the state for their parochial interests, he stated. Both Venkaiah Naidu and Chandrababu Naidu have deceived the people of AP by promising that they will ensure a special status to AP, whereas in reality they are working against it, he accused. He questioned as to when the Polavaram Project works will be completed as the AP state government  has no coordination with other states in its construction. It is atrocious to ignore the promise given to 50 lakh tribals in the state, to establish a  university for them, he lamented. He lampooned the real estate business attitude of the Chandrababu Naidu government for grabbing 50,000 acres of land, whereas 1500 acres of land  is bare enough to build a capital. He questioned the  state government that when it could build a temporary capital city within five months, why could it not build houses for poor for years together. He advised the Chandrababu Naidu government to allocate five lakh acres out of 15 lakh acres it is acquiring, in order  to construct houses and schools  for the poor and the  downtrodden. He expressed anguish that leaders and cadres are being arrested by TDP government for raising issues concerning poor people.

P Madhu, CPI(M) state secretary, pointed out that on one side there is no minimum support price for growers of  rice, palmoil, paddy and on the other side, prices of all essential food items are skyrocketing. He blamed the TDP government for its faulty policies resulting in the misery of people. He stated that the CPI(M) is going to launch bigger struggles in support of tenant farmers in the coming days. He stoutly opposed the purported attempts to build Tundurru Food park and cautioned that if such attempts are renewed, there shall be a big movement opposing such attempts. He outlined the reasons behind the agitations by various social groups  for reservations in the country and elucidated as to how the discredited neo-liberal policies are driving various social groups against each other causing immense disservice to the harmony of our country.

B Balaram, West Godavari district secretary of CPI(M) presided over the meeting. S Punyavathi, MA Gaffoor, Central Committee members,  D Ramadevi, state committee member also addressed the rally. Dr M Baburao, V Uma Maheswara Rao, state secretariat members,R Satyanarayana Raju, M Sitaram, Chintakayala Baburao, J Narasimha Murthy,state committee members also participated.