Telangana: Congress' Hanumantha Rao urges PM Modi not to privatise public sector companies

Asserting that Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is the right of the people of Andhra Pradesh, senior Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao on Tuesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him not to privatise public sector companies.

Asserting that Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is the right of the people of Andhra Pradesh, senior Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao on Tuesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him not to privatise public sector compes.

"Back in the time, people have fought for the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and nearly 53 people have sacrificed their lives in the fight. But now, the central government is saying that the steel plant is running in losses and there is no raw material (iron ore) to run the steel plant and that is why they are selling the steel plant to private compes," Rao said.

Comparing the Centre with the Britishers, he said that even they had not sold any orgsation to private sector. He alleged that the Central government is in the clutches of corporate compes.

The Congress leader suggested that instead of selling the steel plant to a private company, the government should bring the iron ore from the Kadapa region of Andhra Pradesh to run the steel plant.

He referred to the ongoing farmers' protests claiming that the BJP government is working hand in glove with the corporate compes and it reflects from their wish to privatise the agricultural sector.

He further mentioned that the government is privatising Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), airlines and many others public entreprises.

Several protests were held in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana against the move of the Centre to privatise the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. (

( With inputs from ANI )