Chaudhary receives flak for his AP special status remarks

Union Minister Haribhai Chaudhary’s remark over special category status to Andhra Pradesh has evoked sharp reactions from across the political spectrum today with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu coming down heavily and terming it as “inappropriate”.

“The union minister’s statement on special category status is inappropriate. Not only should the Centre grant it but also extend full financial support to Andhra Pradesh till it grows on par with other states in south India,” Naidu said in a public meeting in Visakhapatnam this evening.

On his part, YSR Congress president and Leader of Opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy sought to blame the chief minister for the Centre’s attitude on the special status issue, alleging that Naidu “sold out” the state’s interests to the Centre.

Jana Sena party chief and actor Pawan Kalyan who supported the TDP-BJP combine in the 2014 elections and played a crucial role in the victory too reacted on the issue asking the TDP to fight for the special status in Parliament along with opposition parties “before people of the state take to the streets”.

The Union Minister of State for Home had yesterday said in the Rajya Sabha that there was no need to grant special category status to AP.

Congress, which raised the special status issue through a Private Member’s Bill in Rajya Sabha yesterday, said the BJP betrayed the people of AP by going back on the promise of granting special status.

Replying to a debate on the Private Member’s Bill moved by Congress MP K V P Ramachandra Rao, Choudhary questioned the need for granting special category status to AP.

“When the Centre is extending adequate financial assistance, where is the need for special status? The Centre is constantly reviewing what has been done so far and what has to be done further to AP,” he added.

Reacting sharply to the remarks, Naidu today said gross injustice was done to AP due to the bifurcation.

“M Venkaiah Naidu (now Union Urban Development minister) raised this issue in Rajya Sabha (as opposition member in February 2014) and demanded special category state status to AP. The then Prime Minister agreed to it, though it was not included in the AP Reorganisation Act-2014,” the chief minister pointed out.