TDP's donation to Visakhapatnam gas leak victims is a stunt: MLA Gudivada Amarnath

Visakhapatnam: TDP donating just Rs 50,000 each to the families of the deceased in the Vizag Polymers gas tragedy was an eyewash to cover up the ESI medical scam committed during the TDP regime, said YSRCP MLA Gudivada Amarnath.

Speaking to the media here on Monday, the MLA said the TDP had earlier criticized the YSRCP government for paying a compensation of Rs 1 crore to each family of the deceased, claiming that it was meager. He said never in the history of the country had any government paid a compensation of Rs 1 crore and it goes to the credit of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy who had been so benevolent to have done so.

Amarnath said that it was Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy who stood by the Vizag gas leak victims and Naidu offering a paltry Rs 50,000 each was a publicity stunt. Naidu is using every situation for his political benefit by betraying people. He has no intention of visiting Vizag gas leak victims but used the permit for his political mileage and to visit his residence at Karakatta, he added.

The MLA said that Atchannaidu who was minister in previous TDP government was now arrested under corruption charges in the ESI medical scam. Naidu was not bothered about calling on Vizag gas leak victims but concerned more about meeting Atchannaidu. It is awful that Naidu was supporting the corrupt and only trying to divert the issue, he added.

TDP is trying to escape from public wrath by portraying Atchannaidu's arrest as a kidnap and applying caste colour to the issue, said Amarnath. How are BCs related to Atchannaidu's arrest? he questioned and added that the arrest was made because of his involvement in Rs 150 crore medical scam and JC Prabhakar Reddy was arrested because of operating buses with forged documents and overlooking safety measures, he said. Unlike the TDP regime, the YSRCP government has no intention of taking political revenge. He recalled that Mudragada Padmanabham's arrest was an atrocity during the TDP reign and reeked of political vengeance.