Jagan alleges govt silencing tactics; seeks tougher stand in legislative council

Vijayawada: Alleging that the govt was deliberately denying YSRCP its rightful recognition as the principal opposition to silence its voice, former chief minister and party President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday directed party MLCs to function with greater preparation and aggression during the ongoing council sessions.Addressing legislators at the party central office, Jagan said that despite being the only opposition party in the House, YSRCP was not given adequate time to raise the voice of people. "The govt does not want our voice to be heard. Even though we are the sole opposition, we are denied a proper opportunity to speak. That is why we are forced to take people's issues to the media," he remarked.He emphasised that the party has considerable strength in the legislative council and asked members to use that platform effectively. Jagan instructed them to study every subject in depth, come fully prepared with facts and data, and raise issues in a structured manner. He said that they could compel the govt to respond and be accountable only with thorough preparation. He urged members to question failures fearlessly and highlight the hardships faced by various sections of society.Referring to the Tirupati laddu controversy, Jagan alleged that cases and attacks against several party leaders were a consequence of questioning the govt. He maintained that the movement of rejected ghee tankers back into circulation occurred after the change in govt. He demanded that those in power must provide clear answers. He pointed out that established testing procedures were in place in TTD and recalled that rejection of substandard consignments happened during earlier periods as well.Jagan described the coalition rule as a "chain of scams" and alleged that prime land in Visakhapatnam was allotted to relatives of the chief minister. He called upon party members to fight relentlessly in the council, remain sincere in their efforts, and stay closely connected with the public. He assured the leaders that dedication and commitment to people's causes would ultimately earn them recognition and political dividends.