Lokesh demands justice to AgriGold victims

Mangalagiri: TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh on Saturday demanded Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to do justice to the victims of the AgriGold.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, he said, “Jagan, you might have forgotten the allegations that you levelled against the then TDP government and against me and the venom that you have spit against me while you were the leader of the Opposition. But we have not forgotten it.”

Stating that the AgriGold that took birth when the late Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy was the chief minister, indulged in scams at that time itself. After the TDP came to power in 2014, the 21,000 acres of AgriGold was attached, the government arrested the management representatives and did justice to the victims but still false allegations were levelled against the then government, he said.

“The victims met me during my Yuva Galam padayatra as they have come onto the roads since they reposed faith in you as you, as the leader of the Opposition, have made several promises to them,’’ Lokesh said in the letter. What happened to the assurance given to the AgriGold victims that their money would be returned to them within a week of coming to power, he asked.

The victims suffered more now as the Rs 250 crore that was supposed to be distributed to them by the then TDP government was reduced by Rs 14 crore and distributed to them after 22 weeks of coming to power and washed off the hands, Lokesh said. He asked Jagan whether the Rs 10 lakh ex gratia was paid to any of the families of the 600 victims of the AgriGold who committed suicide or at least has anyone consoled any of their family members. “Is this your humanity,” Lokesh asked Jagan.

Pointing out that the then TDP government had paid Rs 5 lakh each as ex gratia to 142 family members of the AgriGold victims who resorted to suicide during 2014-19, Lokesh said. “But still you got published some cooked up stories that I have encroached the lands of AgriGold,” he said in the letter.

Asking as to why not even a cent of the AgriGold land is attached though it is almost five years since he has come to power, Lokesh said that the victims are more worried that Jagan and his associates are eyeing on their lands. “Now I demand that you do justice to the remaining over 10 lakh AgriGold depositers paying the Rs 3080 crore due to them before you step down,” the TDP leader said in the letter.