Rahul Gandhi to lead padayatra against bauxite mining in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: State Congress president N. Raghuveera Reddy said on Sunday that AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi will tour Vizag Agency in May to register the party’s protest against the proposed bauxite mining and express solidarity with the local people.

Speaking at the inaugur-ation of a Bus Yatra undertaken by the Congress marking the death annive-rsary of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Mr Raghuveera Reddy said the Congress would relentlessly fight against mining lobbies.

“It’s not the state government that has to cancel the permissions. The Centre should also do so. The Union government should cancel the Environmental Clearance (EC) given by MoEF for bauxite mining, as this is being opposed tooth and nail by everyone in the Agency tracts. The Congress would fight until the EC is scrapped. Rahul Gandhi will conduct a Padayatra in Vizag Agency to give assurance to tribals that the party is with them in their fight against mining,” he said.

The party’s Bus Yatra will end in April, he added.