Press Releases Archive

Chiranjeevi should shed illusions of Being a hero in politics: Lok Satta

The Lok Satta Party refuted Mr. Chiranjeevi’s contention that people voted for the Praja Rajyam out of personal affection towards him and not as an alternative to the Congress and the TDP. Mr. Chiranjeevi’s comments are an affront to the more than 70 lakh people who voted him in the 2009 general election, said Lok Satta Party leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao, G. Raja Reddy and V. Vijayender Reddy.

Addressing media, the Lok Satta leaders said Mr. Chiranjeevi seemed to nurse the illusion of being a hero even in politics. But unlike in movies, voters are the real heroes in politics. In politics, politicians exist to serve people and not the other way round.

The Lok Satta leaders pointed out that Mr. Chiranjeevi had let down people by throwing his agenda to the winds, merging his party with the Congress and pledging to abide by its decisions.

People believed that as a charismatic leader, Chiranjeevi would provide an alternative to the Congress and the TDP. Instead, Mr. Chiranjeevi seemed to view voters as mere flag bearers and voting machines who could be taken for a ride.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao, Mr. Raja Reddy and Mr. V. Vijayender Reddy said deification of leaders is prevalent in some other traditional parties too. They regard politics as their private property.

In contrast to such parties, the Lok Satta believes in pursuing citizen-centric politics. People thirsting for new politics should embrace the Lok Satta Party, they said.

The Lok Satta leaders demanded that the Hindujas be asked to supply power from their proposed Visakhapatnam thermal power plant at NTPC rates as agreed to earlier, considering that the Government had allocated them land at a concessional rate and facilitated coal linkages. If the Hindujas’ demand for a higher rate of even a rupee per unit is conceded, the 1000 mw plant with a potential to produce 20 million units a day would impose a burden of Rs. 2 crore a day or more than Rs.700 crore a year on the people of the State.

The Lok Satta leaders also questioned the Government rationale in encouraging establishment of plants to generate three times more than the nearly 15,000 mw the State needs. Of that, nearly 28,000 mw is to come from merchant power plants. Such skewed policies may encourage economic growth in other States but saddle the State with avoidable pollution.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011 - 17:11

Time opportune for youth to Shape their destiny: Dr. JP

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan called upon the youth to shed complacency and cowardice and make the Lok Satta as their forum to shape their destiny. The political climate for realizing their dreams has never been so conducive as of now, he added.

Commenting on the merger of the Praja Rajyam Party with the Congress, Dr. JP said that while the rise and fall of parties in a democracy is natural, the disappearance of the Praja Rajyam within a short period of its inception left a trail of despair among large sections of people. Such mergers might serve the power-oriented objectives of leaders but not people’s interests.

Dr. JP likened the 125-year-old Congress and the 28-year-old Telugu Desam to Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Barring the names of leaders, there are no basic differences between the two parties. In fielding candidates in elections and in choosing leaders, they focused on their families’ fortunes and not on people’s welfare.

The youth should unshackle themselves from such parties. “You have the right and power, the need and responsibility to shape your future. Become heroes in your lives. Do not be distracted by parties which try to divide you in the name of caste or religion. You will succeed if you unite and fight for your rights constitutionally and in a disciplined manner. Nothing is impossible if only you have the will. Take a leaf out of the revolts against dictatorships among people of West Asian countries in the recent past.”

Dr, JP said that the Lok Satta is planning to train 25000 youth in leadership skills and organize district conferences soon to turn the Lok Satta into a forum for the youth. He demanded that the Government impart skills to 10 lakh youth of Andhra Pradesh every year so that they would find livelihood opportunities. Such training would not cost more than Rs.2500 crore.

Dr, JP said that the Lok Satta Party, unlike other parties, is prepared for a sustained and systematic struggle to change the face of politics. It has always practiced what it preached. It believes that if the Government is sincere and serious it can ensure a better future for youth and farmers, eradicate corruption and empower people to solve their own problems. In this connection, he recalled that the U. S. Government had sentenced an Indian American doctor couple to 15 years in jail, imposed a penalty of $43 million, and confiscated its entire property for siphoning health care funds to drive home the point that corruption can be tackled if the Government is serious.

Saying that sections of media have become handmaidens of some political parties, he appealed to media persons to be objective and independent.

Answering a question, Dr. JP said that if anybody believed that the Government is out to combat corruption, he or she is living in a world of make-believe. Here is a Government which lacks guts to cancel irregular 2G spectrum allocations and recover lost money through a windfall tax.

In reply to another question, he said he did not subscribe to disruption of a legislature session as a means to further any demand. Legislatures are expected to mirror people’s problems and pin down Governments to address them.

Monday, February 7, 2011 - 21:51

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