Telugu Desam Party President and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday called upon the people of the state to get inspiration from the country’s freedom fighters who made supreme sacrifices in the great struggle for independence from the British Raj.

Naidu stressed the need for continuing the relentless fight against the suppression of the weaker sections and the backward classes and unchecked exploitation of the public wealth. “When similar oppression took place under the colonial rulers, the freedom fighters rose in revolt and fought valiantly till India achieved freedom. It was a matter of great pride that the whole country was celebrating Independence Day all over in the name of ‘Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav’,” he said in a statement.

However, he noted that “while our forefathers made sacrifices for freedom and rights, all obstacles were being created now for the growth and development of people in Andhra Pradesh”.

“What would be the meaning of sacrifices made by those great souls if those fruits were not passed on to the people,” he asked, stressing the need for all sections of society in the state to introspect and come forward to oppose “the oppressive tactics of the present rulers”.

“There was an emergent need to protect the state from the ongoing destruction. The immediate task before one and all would be to rally together to boldly confront and prevent the rulers from harming the state any further,” he said.

TDP national General Secretary Nara Lokesh, in a separate statement, extended his greetings to the people of the country on the occasion of 75th Independence Day celebrations.

He expressed the wish that the spirit of Independence Day would help the Andhra Pradesh people and make them free from harassment, false cases, oppression and from suicides of jobless youth.

Fair-weather friends are with you when everything is hunky dory. But they vanish as fast as the fleeting clouds in times of adversity. TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu must be learning this lesson the hard way. All those leaders who were with him all these days, have now disappeared. Some of the seemingly loyal followers are now looking the other way.

Recently, he organised a three-hour-long Sadhana Deeksha, the first ever by Chandrababu after the Covid hit us. He wanted to breathe some energy into the TDP cadres, who are feeling low especially after the recent reversals in Tirupati, panchayat and civic body polls. The programme was aimed at holding the government to account over covid compensation payment. Chandrababu himself plunged into action and joined the protest at the party headquarters in AP. The idea was to have such protests in all the 175 assembly constituencies.

However, in reality, it was found that many of those who enjoyed power all these days, were absent at the dharna sites. In Chittoor, Chandrababu’s home turf, several leaders stayed away from the dharna. For instance In Palamner, former minister Amarnath Reddy was absent. Ditto with Bojjala Sudhir Reddy in Srikalahasti. In other places, the leaders did come. But, they scooted off once the mediapersons clicked pictures of the dharna. The response of the leaders was lukewarm in Gangadhara Nellore, Chandragiri, Punganuru and even in Kuppam.

Even in Krishna district, considered a party citadel, the response has been poor. None of the leaders were seen in action. It was left to low-level party cadres to do the honours. Those who fought and lost the 2019 elections were completely inactive. No leader worth the name was seen at the dharna sites. A section of the party feels that it is time the party chief shed these ‘dead-weights’ and focus on young blood, which is willing to fight it out.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo and former Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday demanded the Andhra Pradesh government announce a special package for coronavirus-affected families.

He said the state government should follow Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other states in taking a step like this.

Naidu demanded the state government immediately announce financial assistance of Rs 10,000 for all white cardholders.

“This was necessary on account of the pathetic conditions of the poor families in the face of Covid losses in addition to price rise. Loss of work opportunities was a severe rude shock for them during the pandemic,” he said.

Similarly, he demanded a monthly assistance of Rs 7,500 to private teachers, auto rickshaw drivers, construction workers and unorganized sectors.

“AP became the only state not to have given a special package at a time when all other states extended some assistance or other to rescue their people,” the TDP leader claimed.

Likewise, he called on Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to set aside alleged narrow political agenda and start purchasing vaccines in order to inoculate all the people of all age groups.

“The rate of the vaccinated population should be increased from the present 23.2 per cent to at least 70 per cent in AP. People would be safe from the severe threat of Covid-19 only if they were vaccinated fully,” Naidu said.

On Tuesday, the principal opposition leader of the southern state organized a ‘sadhana deeksha’ protest programme at TDP’s central office in Amaravati.

Party leaders and activists participated in the protest programme simultaneously in all 175 Assembly constituencies and 25 Parliamentary constituencies in the state.