Congress slams Naidu for power hike protest

Government chief whip Gandra Venkataramana Reddy came down heavily on Telugu Desam party president N Chandrababu Naidu for staging protests against power tariff hike. 

Talking to media persons at the Congress Legislature Party Office, Gandra Venkataramana Reddy said that Chandrababu Naidu has no moral right to criticize the State Government over increasing of power tariff. He accused Naidu of staging dharnas and protests to get mileage on the power tariff issue and with an eye on the Chief Minister’s post. 

During nine years tenure of TDP government in the State, he said that Naidu has increased power tariff five times and now shedding crocodile tears on the hike. He recalled that Naidu was responsible for the killing of three persons in 2000 during anti-hike protests at Basheerbagh. Stating that the government hiked power tariff due to certain prevailing conditions, he challenged Chandrababu Naidu for an open debate on power tariff hike during successive governments. “The State Government is ready to debate on power tariff issue at any place and at any time,” he said. 

Venkataramana Reddy said that the Congress High Command has called Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana to New Delhi to find ways for strengthening the Congress party in the State and to discuss the strategy to be adopted in the ensuing by-elections to be held in 18 Assembly constituencies. He appealed to high command to announce a roadmap for formation of Telangana State to improve the party's prospects in the by-elections.