Visakhapatnam: The YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday embarked on a visit to Narsipatnam Medical College in Anakapalli district as part of his campaign against the alleged "privatisation" of government medical colleges by the TDP-led NDA government.
His visit is to oppose the N Chandrababu Naidu-led Andhra Pradesh government's recent decision to develop 10 new government medical colleges under Public Private Partnership (PPP), and the TDP said this visit will 'incite unrest'.
Earlier, Information and Public Relations Minister K Parthasarathy had said that these 10 medical colleges were part of the 17 colleges sanctioned during the previous YSRCP government by the Centre.
Parthasarathy had noted that only seven out of the 17 colleges were constructed during the previous government, adding that the remaining 10 colleges will be constructed in two phases through PPP mode.
The former chief minister reached Vizag in a private jet from Vijayawada and was travelling to the medical college by road, a YSRCP source told PTI.
The YSRCP is fiercely opposing the alleged privatisation of the 10 government medical colleges and is regularly protesting this move.
It held a 'Chalo Medical College' (march to medical colleges) protest opposing the NDA coalition government's decision to establish the colleges in PPP model, on September 19, among other forms of agitation.
Along the way, thousands of people, YSRCP supporters and cadres thronged the roads to welcome the former CM and chanted his name as petals and flowers were rained on Reddy.
According to a video link shared by the YSRCP, several people, including the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) employees, submitted petitions to the opposition leader.
In their memorandum, the VSP employees alleged that the TDP alliance, which had promised to save the steel plant before the elections, is "cheating them afterwards", and appealed to the YSRCP chief to save the plant at any cost, a YSRCP source said.
"Jagan responded positively to the appeal of the workers. He clarified that whether they are in power or in the opposition, their stance is always the same, which is to save the Visakha Steel Plant," said the YSRCP source.
Reddy emerged from his car regularly to acknowledge the cheers and chants of his supporters.
Meanwhile, TDP leader N Anand Babu criticised Reddy's opposition to the PPP mode of development of the medical colleges, especially at a time when the government lacks funds.
In a video statement, Anand Babu alleged that Reddy is proceeding with his visits to Visakhapatnam and Narsipatnam to "incite unrest".
He accused Reddy of having "no shame or moral standing to speak about medical education or healthcare" and blamed him for the alleged mismanagement during the COVID-19 pandemic which led to "thousands of deaths."
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
