No compromise on tariff rollback, says Govt.

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, AUG. 23. The State Government has categorically ruled out any compromise on rolling back power tariff hike and left the decision to continue the indefinite fast to the Congress(I) and left Party MLAs.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr. K. Vidyadhar Rao, Minister for Agriculture, Mr. T. Seetaram, Minister for CMEY, and Mr. R. Chandrasekhar Reddy, said that the Congress(I) had joined hands with extremists with the intention of creating a law and order problem in the State.

The presence of Gaddar, the revolutionary ballad singer, in the midst of the camp for two days and his performance at the Old MLA Quarters on Wednesday proved the party's extremist connections, they said. It was unfortunate that claiming to be a national party, the Congress(I) could stoop down to the level of joining hands with the killers of Madhav Reddy, they said.

Going on hunger strike was undemocratic and it was aimed at blackmailing the Government into submission to the unjustifiable and unreasonable demand of rolling back the power tariff hike. The Government stand was very clear and as the Chief Minister had declared in the Assembly, there would be no roll back or even temporary suspension of the hike. If the Congress(I) believed in democratic traditions, it would come to the Assembly and voice its protest, they said.

Because, the main opposition had joined hands with extremists, there was every reason to apprehend occurrence of violence on August 28 and the opposition would be responsible for it, they said. On whether the same Government did not permit Gaddar to give programmes in public, they said it was because of the Court decision. Even N.T.Rama Rao, the founder president of the party, who earlier declared that naxalites were patriots, later changed his stance and banned the PWG, they said. The Government was ready for negotiations if the opposition was willing but its stand remained the same on power hike, they said.

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Section  : Southern States
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