Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is trying hard to create an impression that he fighting a pitched battle with the Central government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fetch special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
The NDA government had made it clear several times that there was no possibility of granting special category status to AP.
Even Modi, during his visit to Guntur, gave enough indications to this effect. The TDP MPs have been stalling parliamentary proceedings for several months.
The YSR Congress party leaders also held agitations all over the state and also in New Delhi to highlight the special category status issue. Yet, there is no positive response from the Centre.
Under these circumstances, nobody would expect that Naidu’s one-day “Dharma Porata Deeksha” in New Delhi on Monday would fetch any result.
Yet, the TDP chief sought to hoodwink the people by setting a three-day deadline for Modi to grant the special status to AP.
“The Parliament session will conclude in the next three days. Within this period, the Centre should fulfil all its promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act, including special category status. If Modi fails to sanction the special category status within three days, the people will teach a befitting lesson to him,” he asserted.
Naidu said his government was ready to show accounts for the funds received from the Centre.
“But are you ready to show accounts for the taxes that you have collected from Andhra Pradesh? Will you reveal where you have spent the taxes collected from us?” he asked.
Needless to say, Naidu’s latest ultimatum will not evoke any response from the Modi government and it will be foolish to expect that the Centre would grant special status within three days, fearing Naidu’s threats.
And it is anybody’s guess that the TDP chief is only aiming at gaining some political mileage in the coming elections!
