Deccan Chronicle office allegedly attacked by TDP workers after steel plant privatization report
Visakhapatnam: The Visakhapatnam office of Deccan Chronicle was allegedly attacked by workers of Andhra Pradesh's ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP). This followed the newspaper's report on the potential privatization of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), which had been pending for over three years.
The Deccan Chronicle accused TDP "goons" of attacking their office after publishing an "unbiased report" on the VSP privatization.
The TDP, along with its coalition partners BJP and Jana Sena Party, had won the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls recently.
The report indicated that the newly-formed coalition government might allow the privatization of the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, the corporate entity of VSP.
Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma stated that VSP had incurred significant losses, and the Central government would not allow public money to be wasted.
The TDP had previously promised to keep the plant in the public sector.
The TDP won 135 out of 175 Assembly seats, with its allies, Jana Sena Party and BJP, winning 21 and 8 seats, respectively. The YSR Congress Party, which opposed the privatization, won 11 seats.
The VSP privatization emerged as a key issue ahead of the elections, with protests from workers' unions and opposition from the previous state government.
Despite the attack, the Deccan Chronicle stated that "intimidation tactics won’t silence us." The TDP is yet to comment on these allegations.
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Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
