Even as the agitation by the workers of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant against its privatisation is gaining momentum, they got a surprising support from Telangana leaders.
On Wednesday, both ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi and opposition Telugu Desam Party extended their support to the agitating workers of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and said if necessary, they would join the agitation to bring pressure on the Centre to drop the privatisation plan.
TRS working president and state industries minister K T Rama Rao issued a statement saying Visakhapatnam Steel Plant was the right of the people of Andhra.
“They fought for it several years and many people have lost their lives in the agitation. It is unfortunate that the Centre was trying to privatise the same,” he said.
Extending his solidarity with the striking workers of the steel plant, KTR declared that if possible, he would personally visit Visakhapatnam and take part in the agitation.
“We shall stand by the workers of the steel plant and fight for their legitimate demands,” he said.
At the same time, Telangana Congress leader and Mulug MLA Dhanasari Anasuya alias Sitakka also expressed her support to the workers of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant agitating against privatisation.
She took to twitter to express her solidarity with the steel plant workers and made a satirical attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“From Chaiwalah to Chowkidar, the Prime Minister has now turned into a salesman,” she criticised.
She said Modi is not a salesman but the Prime Minister.
“We cannot sit idle at home when you are crushing our birth rights,” she said and asked the people of Visakhapatnam not to take even a single step backward in their struggle against privatisation.
“I am with you,” she tweeted.