YSRC Dharna in Delhi for Special Category Status for AP

YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, along with fellow MPs and MLAs, staged a dharna at Jantar Mantar for special category status to the state.

HYDERABAD:  In what is seen as a political move to corner the ruling TDP-BJP combine in Andhra Pradesh, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, along with his party MPs and MLAs, staged a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Monday demanding special category status to the state and squarely blamed Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for the delay in securing the same from the Centre. 

Speaking on the occasion, Jagan called for a statewide bandh on August 28, ahead of the State Assembly session, which is likely to begin on August 31. Later, when Jagan tried to take out a protest march to Parliament House, he was arrested along with his party leaders and taken to the Parliament Street police station. However, after sometime they were released.

Earlier, while participating in the dharna, the YSRC president hurled the choicest invectives at the ruling TDP in the state for its alleged failure in persuading the Centre to sanction special category status to the state.

Jagan said: “Special category status will enable us to get more percentage of central funds in the form of grants and exemptions from many taxes and duties which will attract investments. The process of development will be speeded up with the high economic activity and the quality of life will increase manifold. Hence, the fight will not stop here and we will take it forward.”

Jagan castigated the Centre for going back on its promise of according special category status to AP and the TDP for maintaining silence on the issue, saying: “The TDP has traded the state’s interests for its personal gain.”

“While the BJP was in the Opposition, it had been vociferously demanding special category status for AP for 10 years and had included it in its 2014 election manifesto as well. After coming to power, it has changed the tune and it is blaming the Finance Commission and searching for other reasons to evade the issue. The TDP has been silent on the issue as a part of the bargain with the Centre for not opening cases against Naidu and other leaders facing serious charges,” Jagan alleged.

Rubbishing the claims of the Centre, Jagan said the issue of special category status was not within the purview of the Finance Commission. According to him, it came under the purview of the National Development Council of which the Prime Minster himself was the Chairman. “The Centre is misleading the state on  special category status,” he alleged.

“Though Naidu and his MPs had boasted of casting the first vote for the bifurcation of the state, he is silent now as he is deeply involved in the ‘cash-for-vote’ case, irregularities in Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme and allotting contracts to companies and persons who were earlier pulled up for their laxity and to cover up all his nefarious deeds,” Jagan said.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com