Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta to organize satyagraha by Govt. policy victims on Jan. 30

The Lok Satta Party will be organizing a ‘satyagraha’ at the constituency level throughout the State on January 30, Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary, by victims of contaminated drinking water, Rajiv Yuva Kiranalu and the liquor consumption.

Announcing this at a media conference, State Lok Satta Party President Katari Srinivasa Rao said the Hyderabad Water Board is supplying unsafe drinking water in 14 out of 40 places in five constituencies of Hyderabad city. The constituencies are L. B. Nagar, Jubilee Hills, Sanat Nagar, Seri Lingampalle and Amberpet.

The water collected in more than one out of three vials turned darkish after 24 hours because it was not chlorinated. Yet the board continues to claim it tests drinking water daily and there is no outbreak of water-bore diseases.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that the Government has taken lakhs of youth for a ride by promising jobs or livelihood opportunities under Rajiv Yuva Kiranalu, the Chief Minister’s pet scheme. Although the Chief Minister promised to provide jobs to 15 lakh youth in three years, only four lakh of the 24 lakh applicants have been provided jobs even according to Government data. Youth recruited by business and industry both on college campuses and outside were included as Rajiv Yuva Kiranalu beneficiaries.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that the Lok Satta Party would conduct a round table meeting at all constituency headquarters on January 12, National Youth Day, by mobilizing all those who had been let down by the Chief Minister’s scheme. They could call toll free number 1800 4190877 and take part in the round table.

The State Lok Satta Party President disclosed that 100 percent of people in bastis have become liquor addicts according to a survey carried out by the party in the last one month. Thousands of women have become widows in their prime of life because of their spouses’ addiction to liquor. When the bread winner who earns Rs.200 a day passes away, the Government offers the widow a pittance of Rs.200 as monthly pension.

The Lok Satta would mobilize victims of Government’s flawed policies on January 30 and conduct a satyagraha, he said.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao refuted the TRS MLA’s charge that Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan was against formation of Telngana. Long before the TRS was born, Dr. JP had in an article published in a prominent Telugu daily on November 6, 2000 argued that new States could be formed in response to people’s wishes and for administrative convenience but the process should be democratic and objective.

Most parties in Andhra Pradesh, he said, are indulging in double-speak. The YSR CP which once said the Center could carve out Telangana now claims to fight for a united State. The TRS which claims Telangana formation as its single-point program is trying to thwart it under some pretext on the other. Both the Congress and the TDP are speaking in two voices. In contrast, he said, it is only the Lok Satta which has taken a consistent stand.

In reply to the TRS question as to why Dr. JP had contested from Kukatpally, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said Dr. JP had settled in Hyderabad and chose Kukatpally as decided by the party. He challenged other party leaders to face Dr. JP in any constituency other than their pocket boroughs.

Lok Satta Party leaders P. Bhaskara Rao, M. Satyanarayana, Gorti Srinivas and M. Ramesh Babu took part in the media conference.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 - 17:50

Lok Satta refutes YSR CP charge

The Lok Satta Party today strongly refuted the YSR Congress Party charge that the Lok Satta is colluding with the Telugu Desam Party.

In a media statement, Lok Satta Party state Vice President D. V. V. S. Varma said the YSRCP, knowing fully well that the Lok Satta Party planned to contest all the 294 seats, was trying to cheat people by indulging in cheap politics.

Mr. Varma pointed out that it was Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy who had sown the seeds for bifurcation of the State. With an eye on electoral gains, Dr. YSR initially and Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu subsequently were responsible for the present political crisis. The YSR CP is indulging in counter-attack when Lok Satta Party legislator Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan exposed it.

Mr. Varma said that the YSR CP will continue to remain as an accused in people’s eyes however much it might try to cover up its politics of corruption and collusion with the Congress.

Mr. Varma said that while the Lok Satta Party wanted a two-phase discussion on the bifurcation Bill – first on the Bill as a whole and on its clauses later – to facilitate a broad and comprehensive solution, the YSR CP which changed its stance overnight is trying to prevent a discussion. It is indulging in politics of division in the guise of fighting for a united Andhra Pradesh.

Mr. Varma said that the YSR CP is bent upon garnering votes and seats in one region and not in protecting the interests of all Telugu speaking people. If it is interested in Telugu people, it should cooperate in arriving at a comprehensive and amicable solution to the crisis.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014 - 17:18

Lok Satta Party team to meet Arvind Kejriwal on Jan. 11

Lok Satta Party leaders led by Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, its national President, will be meeting Aam Aadmi founder and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi on January 11 and discuss how they can work together and spread alternative politics all over the country.

Addressing media on the occasion of a large number of Muslim youth joining the Lok Satta Party, Dr. JP said his party had worked for the success of AAP in Delhi. It sent its volunteers and mobilized funds in India and abroad for the AAP campaign. Thanks to the campaign launched by the Lok Satta movement for the last 17 years and the Lok Satta Party for the last 7 years, people who hitherto shunned politics and elections now deem exercising their franchise as a matter of pride. As a result, the unthinkable has happened in Delhi with the people of Delhi reposing faith in AAP and enabling it to form Government.

Promoting clean politics and ridding the country of corruption and dynastic rule is the need of the hour, said Dr. JP and added that all people should join hands in the mission. There are persons of great personal integrity like Manik Sarkar, Mamata Banerjee, Manohar Parikkar and N. Rangaswamy even in traditional parties. All such people should join hands now since Delhi has demonstrated that change can be ushered in a few months and not years or decades.

In reply to a question, Dr. JP said the Lok Satta Party as of now planned to contest all the 294 seats in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

Dr. JP said that a Government is expected to ensure quality education, livelihood opportunities, safety and security and rule of law. In this connection, he touched upon the arrest of Lok Satta activists including him on the night of January 4 when they planned a siege of Zabbar Travels demanding just compensation to 45 people who were burnt to death in a road accident two months ago. He said that the corrupt Government remained a mute spectator even as 50 people are dying daily in road accidents in the State.

Dr. JP warned Zabbar Travels, the operator and Diwakar Travels, the bus owner, that they would not allow them to run services unless they ensured adequate compensation to the next of kin of the deceased. If they do not respond in the next few days, the Lok Satta will not allow even other private operators to run services although it might inconvenience people during the festive season.

Lok Satta Party State President Katari Srinivasa Rao asked people to boycott Zabbar and Diwakar Travels’ services as the Lok Satta would carry out lightning action against them in the next few days. He exuded confidence that the Lok Satta would assume power in the State because of the winds of change blowing all over.

The Muslim youth who joined the Lok Satta were led by Zilani, Khaja and Mouzam.

Lok Satta Party leaders Ravi Maruth, Dosapati Ramu, Satteyya and Sambi Reddy took part in the media conference.

Sunday, January 5, 2014 - 19:09

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