Hyderabad: The statement of union Minister of State for Home Haribhai P. Chaudhary in Parliament categorically ruling out “special status” to Andhra Pradesh has evoked a strong reaction from Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and other ministers and also kicked up a political storm in the state.
Choudhary in reply to a question in Parliament on Friday said that giving special status to Andhra Pradesh was not on the cards and the state could expect only funds and a liberal attitude from the centre for its development.
Naidu, reacting angrily to the new development, said, “The centre is indifferent towards the state with regard to the special status, separate railway zone and deficit financing issues.”
This was followed by statements form other state ministers reiterating that there could not be any compromise on the demand for special status. “This is the right of the Andhra people,” Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister S. Chinna Rajappa said on Saturday.
The new development has come at a time when the warmth in relationship between the two allies — Telugu Desam Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party — is wearing thin.
Meanwhile, leader of opposition in Andhra Pradesh Assembly Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy has also found a fresh opening to target both the BJP government at the centre and the TDP government in the state over the special status.
Holding Naidu responsible for the centre’s refusal, Jagan told reporters in Hyderabad on Saturday, “Chandrababu said that the special status was not the panache for all problems. Encouraged by this, the centre has now rejected the demand for special status,” he said.
Jagan announced that he would stage a three-day hunger strike at Kurnool from May 16 in protest against the centre’s stand and state government’s failure.
Recalling that both the BJP and TDP had promised special status for Andhra Pradesh for a period of ten years during election campaigning, Jagan wanted to know why Naidu was now keeping quiet and not issuing an ultimatum to the centre. He demanded that the TDP should quit the BJP-led alliance government at the centre.
Meanwhile, the BJP also came under fire from its friend and Jana Sena Party leader and film star Pawan Kalyan. Urging the centre to extend the special status to the state, Kalyan said, “I fervently hope that the BJP will not commit this mistake (of not giving special status”.
At the same time, he also targeted the Congress party saying exactly two years ago, it had bifurcated Andhra Pradesh in an indiscriminate manner. “Nobody can or should forget that humiliation of Seemandhra people,” he tweeted on Saturday.
“The BJP also should not move in the direction of a similar blunder by going back on its words on the special status and betraying the trust of Seemandhra people. That is my wish,” he said in tweets.
Pawan Kalyan said before the people come out on the streets to protest, the MPs of the ruling party and opposition should join hands and fight for the demand in parliament.
