Continuing his tirade against the volunteer system in Andhra Pradesh, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu has sought to know why the volunteers are gathering information about women members of families.
The TDP president, who flagged off the vehicles as a part of the Maha Sakthi Chaitanya Ratha Yatra at the TDP headquarters near here on July 14 (Friday), pointed out that 52,587 cases of atrocities against women took place in the State during the YSRCP tenure in the last four years. “As many as 22,278 women went missing from the State, 3,372 women were raped, 41 were gang-raped during the period,” he said.
Mr. Naidu, during a media interaction a few days ago, said that the volunteers should not interfere in politics and that their services should be limited to public service. Expressing concern over the collection of personal data of the people, Mr. Naidu said, “It is a threat to people’s privacy.”
On the occasion, the former Chief Minister maintained that it was necessary to understand the women’s welfare in the State before and after the formation of the TDP.
“It was TDP founder and former Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh N.T. Rama Rao who brought in a legislation in 1986, giving equal rights to women in property. Padmavathi Mahila University was established by him to encourage women to pursue higher studies and women were given reservations in local bodies, besides a 33% quota for their employment,” he said.
“My intention is to make women a powerful force. It is time women showed their power to Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy,” Mr.Naidu said.
The leaders who are participating in the Maha Sakthi Chaitanya Ratha Yatra will make door-to-door visits and organise special programmes.
