Health Minister V. Rajini tied a rakhi to Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at his camp office at Tadepalli on Wednesday on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
During a visit to Irripaka in Kakinada district, several women Ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and party leaders tied rakhis to the Chief Minister.
Extending rakhi pournami greetings, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy, in a tweet, said that he was grateful for the love they showered on him. “I am forever grateful for the love you shower on me. I promise that I will always support you as a brother. Your welfare is the goal of our governance,” he said in a message on Twitter.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) organised Raksha Bandhan celebrations at its party office at Mangalagiri here. TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu addressed the gathering on the occasion, and also extended greetings to the people on Twitter.
In his tweet, Mr Naidu said that the TDP had announced a programme called Mahasakthi with the aim of making women self-reliant and successful. “The TDP, after coming to power, will pay ₹1,500 per month under the girl child fund to each woman. Also, an incentive of ₹15,000 to each child going to school under ‘Thalliki Vandanam’ scheme will be given. Under the Deepam scheme, every family will be provided with three cooking gas cylinders free of cost per year, and women will be given free travel facility on APSRTC buses. The TDP‘s priority is to ensure women’s empowerment and their safety,” Mr. Naidu said.
Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan said that the festival symbolises the close bond shared by brothers and sisters. “Rakhi festival, celebrated on the day of Sravana Pournami, is a celebration of happiness for Indians who accord utmost importance to family relations,” Mr. Pawan Kalyan said.
He stressed that Raksha Bandhan’s essence would be realised only when the government acts responsibly towards girls. He also touched upon the topic of the missing girls in the State who are victims of human trafficking. “It is not good for our society, especially the government, to remain silent when girls are being subjected to injustice right in front of our eyes. Official statistics, which say that more than 30 000 girls and women have disappeared in Andhra Pradesh, are heart-breaking,” he said.
“When those in the government are acting irresponsibly without taking any action on the missing cases, what is the fate of our girls? Who will listen to the cries of their parents?” he asked.
