‘GO No 1 issued by YSRCP govt in AP is murder of democracy’

He alleged that the state government was renaming the old GOs and issued them afresh only to obstruct the opposition parties

Visakhapatnam: The GO no. 1 issued by the YSR Congress Party government in the state is nothing but murder of democracy, according to CPM polit bureau member B.V. Raghavulu.

Addressing a media conference at the party office here on Friday, he alleged that the state government was renaming the old GOs and issued them afresh only to obstruct the opposition parties.

Padayatras should be welcomed in a democracy, and had the previous governments resorted to creating such obstacles, Rajasekhara Reddy and Jaganmohan Reddy would not have been able to undertake padayaras with success, he pointed out. “Padayatras are good in a way that they would not only help know the people’s problems but also provide a platform to meet them directly,” he stated.

Raghavulu decried the ban on screening of the documentary film depicting the genocide that propelled Modi to power in Gujarat. He also expressed solidarity with the yatra being undertaken by the Pratyeka Hoda Sadhana Samiti for achieving special category status to the state.

The CPM leader said that it was ridiculous to talk of gram swaraj after reducing village sarpanches mere ornamental statues, making a mockery of democracy and demanded restoration of full powers to village panchayats as per the Constitution.

He also urged the opposition parties to bring pressure on the state government to make efforts towards withdrawing the privatisation proposal of Visakhapatnam steel plant and said that the CPM would support the Ukku Garjana scheduled to be held on January 30.