Aug 2 Bandh To Expose BJP, TDP Failure On Special Status

Hyderabad, July 30: In a vitriolic attack on BJP and TDP on the special status issue, Leader of Opposition YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has said the August 2 bandh should be an eye-opener to both the parties and people should infuse credibility into politics by questioning the leaders who go back on the poll promises. Speaking to media here on Saturday he said:’ BJP flatly rejecting the special status is a blatant violation of democratic and moral norms and Chandrababu Naidu still sailing with the NDA is raw opportunism and mortgaging the interests of five crore Telugu people in Delhi for personal gains.’

Showing a clipping of Narender Modi speaking at an election rally where he had promised to give special status to Andhra Pradesh and extending it and 
Chandrababu Naidu seeking 15 years of special status as the five years would not be sufficient for any industry to settle down, the YSR Congress President said:’ After coming to power they have changed tune.
Chandrababu Naidu has set the tone to water down the special status immediately after he was caught red-handed in the cash for vote case and started singing a different tune by saying that Special Status is not a wonder drug which solves all the problems. BJP became emboldened when the Chief Minister was showing indifference on the issue, and started ways and means to evade the special status issue.
Venkaiah Naidu’s statement that when he asked for special status to Andhra Pradesh law makers from other states have approached him the next day in February 2014 and asked him for the same status for their respective states. He said that he realised that it was mistake on his part to ask for the special status. But in the BJP manifesto released in April 2014 it was clearly mentioned that special status would be given to Andhra Pradesh in lieu of Hyderabad.

The dichotomy was totally exposed on the floor of the house and the Finance Minister started telling that the Finance Commission did not distinguish between the states with special category status and others. ‘The fact remains that the issue in question is not with in the purview of the Planning Commission. Only distribution of central taxes, non-plan grants and loans come under its purview. Answering to a question of our MP YV
Subba Reddy the government said that there was no proposal to withdraw special category status to northeast states and 11 states are enjoying the benefit and Andhra Pradesh is a fit case to get the benefit.
BJP has been searching ways to evade the status and TDP has failed to assert itself as Chandrababu Naidu has his personal agenda ahead of the state issue,’ he said. The UPA government has assured special status, merger of three mandals from Telangana to Andhra and power sharing from Central pool during the division of the state. While two of the three assurances were fulfilled the issue of special status was left out.
Special status will be accorded through an executive order as AB Vajapayee had done by a cabinet decision by granting the status to Uttarakhand. UPA cabinet had taken a similar decision and directed the Planning Commission to complete the proceedings but it was not done. The assurance of Prime Minister on the floor of the House has been hoodwinked making a mockery of democracy, he said.

During the debate in the Rajya Sabha no one talked about the benefits the state gets if special category status is given, the exemptions and other waivers but only were vocal about the technical points though it was assured long back. It is time for people to question the leaders who go back on the promises.
In case of special category status it was brazenly hoodwinked by the BJP and Chandrababu Naidu and the most worrying factor is that despite the rejection of special status TDP continuing its support to the Centre which could be read only to save the Chief Minister’s skin as he is facing serious corruption charges. ‘The August 2 bandh should be an eye-opener to BJP and TDP that people would not tolerate any more if political leaders go back on their poll promises,’ he said.
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