Hyderabad: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s August 10 dharna is aimed at drawing the national attention towards the injustice being meted out to Andhra Pradesh by not according Special Status and to highlight the silence of TDP Government on the issue as it has bargained to save its skin from the various charges the leaders are facing, YSR Congress has said.
“The silence of TDP Government is very pronounced as it has been mortgaging the self respect of Telugu people in Delhi to cover up its failures and evade inquiries in the numerous charges of irregularities and corruption while the BJP on the other hand has been going back on its word that only it can give special status and sought votes during the 2014 elections,’ Party MLAs RK Roja and B.Rajendranath Reddy told reporters here on the eve of the dharna to be held at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
The issue of Special Status was not mentioned in the State Reorganisation Bill is not a valid argument as the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had assured this on the floor of Rajya Sabha and it was discussed and approved in the subsequent union cabinet meetings.
The State Reorganisation Act was amended twice by the NDA government to include seven mandals from Telangana into Andhra Pradesh in wake of the Polavaram submergence and to increase the number of MLCs in Andhra Pradesh.
“Then why was the special status issue not taken up. During the Tirupati public meeting Narendra Modi who shared the dais with N Chandrababu Naidu had categorically stated that special status would be accorded to Andhra Pradesh. BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu had turned the tables in the Rajya Sabha and sought 10 years special status while in opposition.
Now that the NDA coalition has formed the government, BJP has completely ignored the issue and the Union Minister Rao Inderjeet Singh had categorically stated that the question of special status to Andhra Pradesh would not arise.
TDP, which is a coalition partner of the NDA, did not object to this statement or that of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley which shows that there was a sell out on part of the Chandrababu Naidu government. BJP and TDP leaders have been giving contradictory statements and misleading the public.
Our leader had time and again brought the Special Status issue to the notice of the President, Prime Minister and other concerned while TDP never spoke strongly on the issue as it has traded such a vital issue for its personal and political gains, more so cover up the charges, Chandrababu Naidu and others are facing,” they said.
The irregularities in Pattiseema, giving away fertile land for capital formation to foreign companies on a platter, Godavari Pushkaram tragedy which claimed 30 lives, assault on government officials, lack of security to women and students, ragging incident at ANU, killing of 20 wage earners in an encounter on the charges of redsanders smuggling even as TDP leaders are involved in the racket, financial indiscipline and above all the cash for vote scam forced the Chandrababu Naidu Government to surrender before the Centre,” they said.
The dharna of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is the voice of the people and it would be raised in Delhi so that the entire country can hear and understand the dire straits in which Andhra Pradesh is in and how the BJP and TDP have been subverting the important issue and the right of the people.
Before division, most of the industries were set up in Hyderabad and the 13 districts of what is Andhra Pradesh today has been predominantly agriculture state. Hyderabad provided a lion’s share of revenue of the joint state and with the bifurcation Andhra Pradesh is at a loss on many counts and the special status can help it recover and develop fast.
The Central grants and loans and other sops of exemptions and subsidies will help the state to grow fast and this can only be attained through special status.
“Andhra Pradesh is not the first state to get special status in the country and Finance Commission has nothing to do with it. The issue is not within its purview. It is the prerogative of the cabinet to accept or reject recommendations of any committee or commission,” they said.
While TDP has been turning a blind eye to such a vital issue, being a responsible opposition party, we have to vent the feelings of the people which will reflect in the August 10 protest. After the dharna, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy along with party leaders will March to Parliament, they said.
