Press Releases Archive

“What the youth need today are 21st century politics promoting growth, opportunity, justice, and integrity; not the dangerous 19th century cocktail of feudalism, dynasties, crony capitalism, perpetuation of poverty and corruption,” said the Lok Satta Party today.

The YSR Congress Party founded by Mr. Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy (Jagan) is indulging in competitive populism and brandishing dynasty in its bid to come to power, the Lok Satta Party added.

Referring to the virtual election manifesto unveiled by Mr. Jagan at his party plenary at Indupulapaya in Kadapa district, Mr. D. V. V. S. Varma, Lok Satta Party Working President, underlined that the sops Mr. Jagan is dangling merely perpetuate poverty since they do not help people become self-reliant.

Mr. Varma pointed out that Mr. Jagan has not spelt out policies that enable every one to have quality education, healthcare and employment opportunities, make agriculture remunerative, and eradicate corruption.

For instance, the Arogyasri scheme in which Mr. Jagan reposes total faith will not help every one access medical aid for every disease in a facility of his or her choice. Expensive corporate healthcare benefiting a small number of patients has not helped the majority of people. The State Government is already providing free education facilities to most of the students. But unless it ensures quality education and links it with skill enhancement, it will be of little use. The YSR Congress does not talk of unshackling agriculture from the license permit raj and giving farmer the freedom the sell his produce wherever he wants. His promise to distribute an acre of land to every landless family in the State is unrealistic because land is a finite resource and cannot be manufactured like matchboxes in a factory.

Mr. Varma, however, welcomed Mr. Jagan’s offer to put an end to illegal liquor outlets known as belt shops in villages. At least in this respect, he is trying to undo his father, Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s legacy, added Mr. Varma.

The Lok Satta Party today regretted that a section of the media has misquoted its President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan’s remarks in response to a question at a media conference in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, July 7.

Setting the record straight, the party quoted Dr. JP as saying:

“Formation of a State is a matter of democratic, political arrangement in a federal polity, and not a matter of life and death. The Lok Satta Party has consistently maintained that formation of a Telangana State will be neither a catastrophe nor a panacea to people’s problems. Therefore, all sections of people must maintain calm and resolve the issue peacefully and amicably through dialogue.

“When passions are roused on both sides, responsible leaders should be restrained, and display a willingness to negotiate and arrive at a satisfactory solution. People in Andhra Pradesh and Telugu-speaking people in the country and all over the world have already paid a heavy price because of the delay in resolving the problem. The Government of India and major political parties are guilty of criminal negligence and reckless abandon in dealing with a sensitive issue affecting the lives of millions of people.

“The Government of India is constitutionally obliged to resolve the issue quickly and amicably keeping in mind national interests as also those of people in all the regions of the State.”