VISAKHAPATNAM:The Congress leaders, during the ongoing protests before the GVMC administrative building here Thursday, came down heavily on the BJP-TDP coalition for failing to get special status to residuary Andhra Pradesh.
Pradesh Congress Committee president N Raghuveera Reddy recalled that the AP Reorganisation Bill, which was approved by the Parliament, clearly mentioned about special status.
When in Opposition, both the BJP and TDP assured to grant special status to AP for at least 10 years, if they come to power.
In fact, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu, as opposition leader, demanded 10-year special status to AP in the Parliament then. But now, he changed his stand after coming to power, Reddy pointed out.
Former PCC president B Satyanarayana said that the UPA government sanctioned several projects and financial assistance to Andhra Pradesh during bifurcation. However, the BJP-led NDA government failed to deliver the sops it promised before the general elections. But then, the Congress was fighting for the cause, he claimed.
When Congress president Sonia Gandhi questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi about special status for AP, he did not respond.
But, Venkaiah Naidu was mislading the people and the Parliament by replying that there was no mention about special status in the Act, Satyanarayana alleged.
Instead of raising his voice against the Centre’s step-motherly treatment towards Andhra Pradesh, as witnessed in the in the railway and general budgets, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was still praising the BJP government and Narendra Modi, thereby insulting the people of Andhra Pradesh, the Congress leaders criticised.
PCC secretary Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao and party leaders P Balaraju and K Muralimohan Rao were present.