TIRUPATI: BJP State president Kanna Lakshmi Narayana on Friday said that the issue of granting Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh was a closed chapter and it was not possible for the Central government to accord the status. Addressing the media in Tirupati, he said that the promises of the political leaders, be it TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu or YSRC supremo and AP Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, to secure SCS by putting pressure on the Centre is nothing but a tactic to befool the people. He appealed to the State leaders of different political parties to stop betraying the people by giving false assurances on the SCS.
The BJP State president said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his five-year-rule, gave more benefits to Andhra Pradesh through different packages than what SCS can bring to the State. He added that allotting Rs 5,000 crore for the National Highway project to Chittoor district is one such example.
Kanna Lakshmi Narayana assured that the Centre will provide more assistance for the development of the State. “Before straining of ties between TDP and BJP, we had alerted former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu that he has been falling into the trap of YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on the SCS issue.
However, he turned a deaf ear, broke up ties and faced a major defeat in the elections,” the BJP leader said. He appealed to the people to attend the Prime Minister’s public meeting at Renigunta on June 9. Some TDP leaders under the leadership of Gooty Municipal Chairperson Tulasamma joined the BJP in his presence.