KAKINADA: Vowing to continue his fight for Special Category Status (SCS) with unwavering intensity, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday launched a verbal diatribe against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to implement provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act and “triggering a financial crisis”. Addressing a gathering at the Dharma Porata Deeksha in Kakinada, the TDP supremo hit out at Modi over his pre-poll promise of bringing back black money from Swiss banks and depositing it in the accounts of Indian citizens.
“In fact, as a matter of shame, there has been a 56 per cent increase in the amount of black money stashed abroad during Modi’s regime,’’ he claimed. Naidu alleged that several of Modi’s decisions, including demonetisation, had adversely affected the nation. “People still fear to go to banks to withdraw cash,’’ he said and added that Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya had caused major dents to the banking sector, thanks to the incompetence of the NDA government at the Centre.
The Chief Minister said Andhras who had believed the promises Modi made at Tirupati, the holy abode of Lord Venkateswara Swamy, were deceived. To drive home the point, the video of the Prime Minister promising SCS to the State at the temple town was played in loop during the address.
“Not just that, Modi had promised a separate railway zone for Vizag, a petro corridor, a steel plant at Kadapa and several other projects. Not a single promise has been fulfilled,’’ the AP Chief Minister observed. Speaking on the occasion, IT Minister Nara Lokesh warned the BJP against hurting the sentiments of Telugus. “The Congress faced the wrath of Telugus after bifurcating the state. The NDA too will face the people’s wrath,” he said.