Hyderabad: TDP National General Secretary Nara Lokesh on Wednesday gave the Jagan Mohan Reddy government a week’s deadline to revoke government order (G.O) 40 and continue the age-old aided system of educational institutions in Andhra Pradesh, failing which they would face consequences.
During his visit to Anantapur, Nara Lokesh called on the protesting students of the Sri Sai Baba National Degree College and assured them of TDP’s total solidarity with their agitation. “The fees for SSBN students are going up from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 75,000 because of the Jagan policy. How could the students of poor and backward classes families pay such hefty fees?” he questioned.
He demanded that the aided colleges be given the freedom to choose on mergers and whether or not they were comfortable with privatisation.
Extending support towards the agitation against the order, Lokesh warned that ‘the angry students who immobilised Education Minister Adimulapu Suresh, would give the same treatment to the chief minister and his workers in future.
He also questioned if the police acted upon the orders of the government and lathi-charged at the students demanding the suspension of officers involved and injured a few. “The police broke the rules and entered the college premises. They caught the students by the collar and threw them out. The students were bundled into police jeeps and beaten up,” he alleged.
Lokesh also accused the ruling YSRCP leaders of setting their sights on the Rs. 300 Cr worth 7.5 acres of the SSBN College lands in the heart of Anantapur. “Similar threat was posed to 1,400 acres of prime lands of Vizianagaram college. AP was the only state in the country that was hell-bent on destroying the aided institutions which have been serving the educational needs of local people since 1854,” he said.
The TDP former Minister pointed out that former CMs like NTR, Rosaiah and YSR and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Chief Justice of India Justice NV Ramana all studied in aided colleges only.
Nara Lokesh demanded stringent action against the policemen responsible for injuries on Jayalakshmi. The lathicharge was used against peacefully protesting students at SSBN College and as such was especially reprehensible.