Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu who staged his Maha Dharna demanding full reimbursement of fees to BC students on par with SCs and STs in professional colleges, was arrested by the police at L.B. Nagar on Tuesday. Unwittingly, Mr Naidu is backing YSR’s dream scheme and is forced to toe the Congress line. He has also no choice but to support free power supply scheme for the agricultural sector, Arogyasri and other YSR schemes.
The TD chief seems to be trying to gain mass support by taking up various public issues and is fishing in troubled waters on power cuts and fee re-imbursement issues in the run-up to 2014 elections. While Mr Naidu staged a dharna in the city, his party MLAs including Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu and others staged Maha Dharna in Tirupati in protest against power cuts and demanded seven-hour power supply to the farm sector. TD MLAs from five neighbouring districts joined in the protest.
“TD provided fee reimbursement to SCs and STs during its rule. Congress had, in 2008 before the general elections, promised full reimbursement of fees to all students but is now putting conditions. The government is in a state of confusion and trying to put a cap on fees, which we oppose,” said Mr Naidu. He and other party leaders, besides some students, were arrested and taken to Vanasthalipuram police station where they continued their dharna.
“It is the responsibility of the government to provide education.If corruption is checked, the government can meet the cost of education,” said Mr Naidu. He added, “From a state budget of Rs 8,000 crore, we took it to Rs 30,000 crore. Now the budget is around Rs 1.80 lakh crore. Top priority should be given to education.”