Lokesh sit-in dharna in front of police station
Slams Govt for illegal arrests of TNSF leaders
Jagan has no choice but to concede students demands
Withdraw GOs 19, 42, 50 and 51
AMARAVATI: TDP National General Secretary Nara Lokesh on Thursday slammed the YSRCP Government for ‘suppressing’ the students’ agitations instead of conceding their demand for withdrawal of the merger of aided educational institutions.
Nara Lokesh condemned the arrests of the student leaders for just taking out a ‘Chalo Assembly’ protest. “We have already given a seven-day deadline. But the Government did not respond. The present Chalo Assembly is our reply. We have knocked on the doors of the Assembly today. Soon, we will knock on the doors of houses of the Chief Minister and his Ministers”.
Lokesh visited and sat in dharna in front of the Pedakurapadu police station demanding the unconditional release of the arrested students. Speaking on the occasion, he said that the student leaders were arrested around 9 a.m. and put to severe inconvenience. They were made to sit beside the toilets without food and were subjected to many humiliations. But, the Jagan regime should realise that the agitation would not stop till the Government withdrew its plans against aided colleges.
Lokesh asserted that the students had constitutional rights to hold democratic protests. Their illegal detention for over 8 hours at the police station was condemnable. The TNSF, SFI and AISF would further step up their struggle. The YCP Ministers would not be able to move out in future. The rising public resentment against the Jagan regime’s policies was evident from united protests of students in Anantapur, Kakinada and other places.
Nara Lokesh said the Government would have no option but to withdraw its draconian GOs 19, 42, 50 and 51 in order to continue the tradition of the aided institutions. These institutions have been running since 1854 when the then British Raj began encouraging donors to provide educational services. The Jagan rule was now bent on undermining these aided colleges in order to grab their prime lands.
Decrying the ruling YSRCP’s ‘anti-people policies’, Lokesh deplored that Jagan Reddy turned into a ‘Kamsa Mama’ to spoil the future of students instead of fulfilling his election promise to serve as their ‘Mena Mama’ (maternal uncle). The students’ stir was spreading to Amalapuram, Vizianagaram and other places. The ruling YSRCP would face serious consequences if it did not concede the students’ demand.
Lokesh said that over 4 lakh students’ future was in doldrums now because of one anarchic decision of the Chief Minister. The merger decision would spoil the chances of 2 lakh students in 2,203 aided schools, 72,000 students in 282 aided junior colleges and thousands more in 116 aided degree and 2 polytechnic colleges.
Condemning the CM’s ‘suppressive tactics’, Nara Lokesh said that the police resorted to needless lathi charge on students at SSBN college in Anantapur and also in Kakinada. A girl student had to undergo stitches. The CM should realise that the students’ agitations cannot be suppressed with force or police. The SSBN college students said their fees would go up from Rs. 5,000 in the aided system to Rs. 20,000 after the merger. The CM should answer this.
