Centre Reneges On AP Special Status, Naidu Fumes

In a first, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today expressed his displeasure over Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's remarks against issuing Special Status for Andhra Pradesh in Parliament.

At a meeting with the party's MPs in Vijayawada on Sunday, Naidu accused the BJP of reneging on its election promises on the issues of Special Status, the AP Reorganization Act and financial assistance to the State.

During the 2014 elections, he pointed out, the Congress had promised Special Status for Andhra Pradesh for five years after the bifurcation, but the BJP vowed to extend it to 10 years if it came to power. But despite his numerous trips to the Centre and pleas, the Party was completely unresponsive to the demand, he alleged.

The Special Status, using the Gadgil-Mukharjee formula, he said, would help Andhra's post-bifurcation financial crunch.

This is possibly the first time that Naidu has openly expressed his unhappiness over the issue. Members of the Opposition (mainly the Congress) had already moved a private bill seeking Special Status for the State.

He also refuted Jaitley's comments that the Centre had given more funds than the 14th Finance Commission's recommendations, claiming that the Finance Commission had no say in this regard.

"Is not the duty of the Centre to see that it extends support to the State until it develops on par with other States in the country?" he asked.

A future course of plan would be chalked out after meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seeking his response to the plea, he added.

Naidu also slammed the Centre for staying silent on other issues pertaining to the two Telugu States including delimitation of the Assembly seats after united AP's bifurcation.

He also flayed YSR Congress Party president and Leader Of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Y S Jaganmohan Reddy for organizing protests and misguiding the people on several issues.

"Instead of trying to file cases against me, Jaganmohan Reddy should fight with the Centre on actual issues," he said.