All Promises Fulfilled, Claims Chandrababu!  

Veeravasaram, West Godavari District:  My Padayatra moved into Undi constituency from Bhimavaram. Venkatalakshmi, who met me at Veeravasaram, displayed the sort of affection one rarely sees. It was indeed a very touching experience. She told me that she had walked alongside my father on his Padayatra in Vizianagaram district and with my sister, Sharmila in Bhimavaram when she was on her Padayatra. She took photographs with them on both the occasions and was overjoyed to get a picture taken with me. “I am indeed very fortunate.“ Her words moved me profoundly. Such genuine love and affection are truly beyond description.

A few archakas or Temple priests met me near veeravasaram and expressed their anguish about the ongoing state of affairs in Tirupati. They were pained to see the most sacred shrines in Hinduism turned into a hotbed of controversy by Chandrababu Naidu. People have repeatedly pointed out the carelessness and arrogance of the ruling party leaders in bringing things to such a deplorable state. Devotees are clearly troubled by reports that ornaments belonging to Lord Venkateswara have gone missing.  Instead of giving clear answers and responding in a fair manner, TTD officials and Telugu Desam leaders have resorted to creating divisions among the priestly class using Brahmins to criticise Brahmins. This is the worst possible thing that they could have done. It seemed only fair that a CBI probe should be conducted into the entire affair as the priests had demanded.

All along the way, women expressed their difficulty in getting proper drinking water. They were angry and frustrated everywhere. Swati brought a bottle of coloured water which looked like sewage. How could anybody expect people to drink this and remain healthy?  Would it surprise anyone to know that people suffer from diseases and kidney problems after drinking this water? This was her question. Lakshmi Devi wailed saying that her son frequented a belt shop in the village. After consuming liquor, he beat up her daughter-in-law every day.

What is shocking to me is that the TDP government has failed to provide drinking water to these villages and yet, in spite of people’s protests, has ensured free flow of liquor in every village across the state. The insensitive Chandrababu Naidu government remains unfazed while people suffer from diseases either on account of consuming liquor or drinking the contaminated water which is supplied to them.

Devi came to me and said, “There were so many promises and commitments which Chandrababu Naidu made. He said that he would waive loans and bring home gold. Four years have gone by and our gold is still lying in banks." Padma Kumari of Ganeshlakshmi group was irate that Chandrababu Naidu cheated women in the name of loan waivers for women’s groups. In Rayakuduru village alone, people from more than 40 groups came to me saying that not a rupee had been waived. Similarly, loan waivers to farmers were a farce said, Govada Rambabu. Fee reimbursement has been totally neglected, said Veera Venkatayya. Bhagyalakshmi of Vissakoderu was troubled by the fact that Chandrababu Naidu had promised a job for every home, but her son who had studied MBA, was still unemployed. People complained that they got neither pensions nor homes as promised, and Arogyasri the pathbreaking healthcare initiative, had been completely watered down. Not one promise which Chandrababu Naidu made was fulfilled at the ground level. This was evident everywhere. At the Mahanadu however, he spreads lies claiming that he has fulfilled all his commitments made at the time of elections. Nothing remains to be done now. This is what Chandrababu Naidu claims.

Instead of showing his regret and repentance for not having fulfilled even one of the promises which he had made, Chandrababu Naidu is trying to brazen it out in the face of mounting anger of the people. How unjust is this! Instead of reviewing his work and going over the mistakes he had done, evaluating all the wrongs committed by him, he is still trying to deceive people scheming and plotting afresh.

I have a question for the chief minister —you passed a resolution stating that if your party comes to power in Telangana you would make 12 SC, ST and BC women, ministers. Do your actions match your words to any miniscular degree?  In Andhra Pradesh, where you are in power, you have not given a single cabinet berth to a Muslim or ST individual. In the neighbouring state of Telangana where you know you can never get to power, you promise the chief minister‘s post to a BC individual! You say you will ensure that STs under TDP, get the maximum number of ministerial positions in Telangana! Can there be a greater example of opportunism or deception than this?