NEW DELHI: Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju today defended the protests by his party TDP, saying there is nothing wrong in voicing opinion about the demands of Andhra Pradesh.
His comments come amid a strain in ties between the BJP and ally TDP, which has expressed disappointment over the Union Budget saying it did not offer anything to Andhra Pradesh, where it is in power.
Raju told reporters here that leaders of both the parties are "attuned" to these sensitive issues and trying to find solutions.
"When Andhra Pradesh was divided, what was left was a residue state of AP. Now, residue gives a lot of impressions.
There are certain commitments that were made.
"People of Andhra Pradesh want those commitments met. We are part of the government. We work with the government. There is nothing wrong in voicing an opinion and I think they have been voiced loud and clear. These are sensitive issues. Let the leaders decide," he said.
He said the state was divided "unscientifically".
"The idea is that you divide a state during the last days of Parliament before an election, it generates a problem. And that is what has happened. That problem requires attention and I think it will come," he said.