NARASARAOPET: Breaking his silence on the meager Budgetary allocations to the state, Central funding and the implementation of provisions in the AP Reorganisation Act, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday demanded justice on behalf of the five crore people of the state and bemoaned the step-motherly treatment being meted out to Andhra Pradesh since bifurcation. “The State government is ready for a debate on the funds it has received, so far, and how it is not different from what other states have received,” he said and vowed not to back down.
Addressing a public meeting in Narasaraopet of Guntur district, he made it clear that the TDP's fight for the rights of the state would continue. “I am ready for any sacrifice to protect the interests of the state,” the Chief Minister promised. In an oblique reference to Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, Naidu said it was inappropriate for political parties to ask for the state government's accounts.
“The State and the Centre are both sovereign powers. The state government will discuss and debate on the accounts in the Assembly and the Central government will do so in Parliament. Some people with vested interests are demanding details of the state's accounts, it is inappropriate,” he said. The Chief Minister claimed the state had braved one setback after another since Independence and was forced to part with its capital city not once, but twice -- he was referring to the split of the Madras Presidency in 1953. “Bifurcation was done in an irresponsible and irrational way. The AP Reorganisation Act was framed to help AP after bifurcation, and the grant of Special Category Status was promised later after protests in the Rajya Sabha,” he said.
He, however, defended his decision of allying with the BJP, saying it was done to safeguard the interests of the state. “I have visited Delhi 29 times to remind the Centre of the situation in the State. However, justice has eluded Andhra Pradesh for threeand- half years. Our MPs are fighting tirelessly in Parliament for AP's cause, ” he told mediapersons. Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that the Telugu Desam Party had emerged to protect the ‘self respect’ of Telugu people, Naidu said pressuring the Centre into fulfilling its promises made during bifurcation was key to protecting Telugu pride. "We want the Centre to extend hand holding till AP is on a par with other states in south India,” the TDP chief asserted. Lashing out at those trying to ‘politicise’ the issue, Naidu appealed for an apolitical approach from everyone. He stressed that AP must stand united if it wants justice from the Centre.