Pawan Kalyan's deeksha against RINL privatisation

Vijayawada: Jana Sena Party president and film star Pawan Kalyan observed a daylong deeksha against the State Government's silence against privatisation of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL).

After a seven-hour fasting at Amaravati on Sunday, he said even after his suggestion to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on October 31 to lead an all-party team to Delhi to discuss the issue, no response had been received yet.

Pawan Kalyan said if the State wants it can pressurise the Centre to withdraw the decision to sell RINL-the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

The actor-turned-politician said everyone should be ready to question YSRCP leaders if they fail to take up RINL issue seriously.

Jana Sena is an ally of BJP. Jana Sena Political Affairs Committee chairman Nandendla Manohar blamed YSRCP and Telugu Desam Party for not reacting firmly against the privatisation decision.

He said VSP is pride of Andhra Pradesh as it was established after an agitation that claimed 32 lives in 1960s. He said both YSRCP and TDP had failed to represent to Centre on the necessity to retain RINL in the public sector.

Jana Sena leader from Vizag Kona Tata Rao said Pawan Kalyan was the first leader to go to Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and others to withdraw the decision to sell RINL after Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs cleared it on December 27 last.