VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said TDP had wanted to join hands with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) but that the BJP “conspired” to frustrate his efforts and create rift between the two Telugu States.
Speaking in the Assembly, while moving a resolution condemning the alleged refusal of the Centre towards implementation of the AP Reorganisation Act, he recalled that contrary to alliance dharma, the BJP had unilaterally snapped ties with the TDP in Telangana without even informing him.
“Though I preferred to have friendly relations with TRS, you (read Centre and BJP) conspired against it with to create a rift between both the states, to damage the TDP and do injustice to AP,’’ the Chief Minister alleged, vowing to fight until special status was granted to the State.
His remarks sparked off speculation that the TDP had intended to join hands with the TRS for the forthcoming elections in Telangana but it is not clear whether he meant an electoral alliance with the TRS or just friendly ties with the TRS government.
The BJP’s lone member in the House at the time, Vishnukumar Raju, could not retaliate to Naidu’s barbs and ended up endorsing the resolution that was eventually passed by the Assembly, albiet with the conditional “if Injustice was done to AP.”
In his speech, while explaining about the alleged raw deal meted out to the state by the Centre, Naidu said the Centre had not organised any meeting to settle issues between the Telugu states. “Are we slaves? Is it not democracy? Is it not the responsibility of the Centre to do justice to the state?’’ he questioned and likened the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre to British rule.
“Except the BJP and YSRC, everyone in the state is demanding SCS and implementation of the Act in toto. But, you (BJP) and YSRC are not responding, and are instead, criticising me. You have to confront Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA government as you are born on this Gadda (land),’’ Naidu advised BJP leaders from AP.
Alleging that the BJP is controlling the YSRC with a remote control, Naidu said the YSRC leaders are not in a position to utter a single word against the Centre as they are well aware of what happened to Sasikala in Tamil Naidu.
When Vishnu Kumar Raju tried to defend the Centre and started to explain the reasons for not giving SCS to AP, Naidu said, “People won’t forgive you if you still support your party. If you have guts, criticise the Centre. My fight is against the Centre, for our rights and for the well-being of future generations not at all for selfish motives.’’