Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], May 23 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President YS Sharmila has criticised the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led Andhra Pradesh government for allegedly making decisions to 'privatise' the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).

The APCC Chief said that Congress condemned the decision of the Centre, asserting that the party would 'fight to the death' if it came to saving the Visakha steel.

Speaking to ANI on Thursday, YS Sharmila said, 'Yesterday, on behalf of the Congress party, I, the party President of Andhra Pradesh, was there at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant for an indefinite strike because 2000 employees of the plant were terminated without a cause or reason. Most of the 2000 people who were terminated from the plant are people who happened to have given their land for the construction of the plant.'

The APCC Chief claimed that the BJP 'deliberately' wants the plant to run into losses in order to privatise it.

'If the project stands today, it is because many people like them donated land to the Vishakhapatnam Steel. Today, the BJP deliberately wants Visakhapatnam Steel to run into losses so that they can privatise it and give it to people like Adani. The Congress party is against this. Yesterday, we were there, demanding that all 2000 people be reinstated. Today, we held a press meeting in Vijayawada to question the state government as to why they are extending support for this move by the central government,' YS Sharmila said.

'In 2021, the BJP announced that they are willing to privatise Visakha Steel, they have not gone back on that. In a recent statement, the Centre government clarified that the decision remains. The Congress party seriously condemns this and stands against it, and we will fight to the death, if it comes to that, for saving the Visakha steel,' she said.

Sharmila on Wednesday sat on a hunger strike in support of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) workers. She alleged that around 2,000 contract workers were dismissed without proper procedure or justification.

She further claimed that until 2014, the VSP was a profitable enterprise, generating Rs 1,000 crore in profit, but it now faces a debt of Rs 28,000 crore.

Speaking to reporters, the Congress leader said, 'Andhra Pradesh Congress is here in Visakhapatnam Steel. We are going on an indefinite hunger strike because the management of VSP has terminated 2000 employees without any cause or proper procedure. The reason behind this is to kill this plant... Until 2014, this plant yielded a profit of Rs 1000 crores, but now, it stands on a debt of Rs 28000 crores...' (ANI)