The Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party (TDPP) has demanded that Union petroleum and natural gas minister S.Jaipal Reddy should tender an apology to the people of the state for the diversion of 2 mmscmd of gas to Maharashtra from AP’s quota, and undo the injustice meted out to the state.
The TDPP met at party chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s residence here on Sunday to finalise its strategy for the monsoon session of Parliament beginning on Wednesday. The TDPP has decided not to take part in the vice-presidential election scheduled to held on August 7 to maintain equidistance from the UPA and the NDA.
Reacting sharply to diversion of gas to the Ratnagri fertiliser plant in Maharashtra, the TDPPP blamed Jaipal Reddy and advised him not to pass the buck to others in an attempt to absolve him of his responsibility.
The party felt that people were suffering because of Jaipal’s differences with the thief minister. His contention that it was a decision taken in 2008 did not hold water since he was a minister in the Union cabinet at that time too and he should have put his foot firmly down then when injustice was being done to the state.
Disclosing TDPP decisions to the media, TDPP leader Nama Nageshwar Rao said that they would stall parliament on the gas issue. The UPA government depended on state Congress MPs for survival and five Union ministers hailed from the state and yet the state was being discriminated against, he said.