Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday refused to meet a delegation of TDP MPs who were in the Maharashtra capital seeking support for the special category status for Andhra Pradesh.
TDP’s Lok Sabha MPs, Thota Narasimham and Ravindra Babu, were supposed to meet Thackeray at the latter’s residence at Matoshree at 5.30 pm, however Thackeray refused to give them time.
While Sena did not give any official reason, sources said Sena was miffed with the role played by TDP when Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad got into trouble with Air India for allegedly beating up an employee.
Despite Sena’s intervention several domestic airlines had ‘banned’ Gaikwad from flying, but the then civil aviation minister, Ashok Gajapati of TDP, had not intervened.
A Sena leader said the TDP delegation was clearly told that Thackeray will not give an audience to them.
“It was not due to a paucity of time, we have clearly said no meeting today (Sunday) or tomorrow (Monday. We have no desire to meet them,” said a Sena leader.
The TDP delegation was supposed to give a booklet and a letter by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu to Thackeray, explaining why Andhra Pradesh needs special category status.
