Congress Challenges New Steel Minister Kumaraswamy on Steel Plant Privatisation

The Congress party has questioned the new Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy on whether he will assure that the steel plants, including those in Visakhapatnam and Salem, will not be privatised. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh raised concerns over government negligence and alleged intentions to privatise steel plants to benefit close associates of the Prime Minister.

The Congress party on Tuesday demanded an assurance from the newly appointed Steel Minister, H D Kumaraswamy, regarding the non-privatisation of steel plants in Visakhapatnam and Salem, among others.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh questioned Kumaraswamy's stance, calling the current administration a 'rusted' government, and posed several queries about steel plants in various regions, including Visakhapatnam, Salem, Nagarnar, Bhadrawati, and Durgapur.

Ramesh criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly planning the sale of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) to close industrialist allies, endangering the livelihoods of over one lakh people. Ramesh also highlighted past protests against privatisation and accused the government of deliberate negligence leading to financial losses at the Vizag Steel Plant.

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