New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre for not giving special status to Andhra Pradesh as demanded by the state government.
Gandhi’s comments came on a day when Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress MPs held a protest in Jantar Mantar, demanding a special package to Andhra Pradesh.
Taking to Twitter, Gandhi attached a video of the protest and said that the opposition was united on the demand to give ‘justice’ to the people of Andhra Pradesh.
This afternoon I joined the protests at Jantar Mantar demanding "Special Status" for Andhra Pradesh. It is my belief that if the opposition stands united on this issue, we can force the BJP Govt to do justice to the people of Andhra.#INCStandsWithAndhra pic.twitter.com/sbNqHcEeTW— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 6, 2018
Earlier, Gandhi joined the protest at Jantar Mantar and said that the Congress party is in favour of granting special status to Andhra Pradesh and if they come to power in 2019, they would ensure the same.
"We will give special category status to Andhra Pradesh. It's the first thing we will do after coming to power in 2019," he said.
"I am confident that if we stand together we will convince the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi that what is due to the people of Andhra Pradesh should be given to them," he added.
This issue also found an echo in Parliament where, both in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, the opposition sought to corner the government over the issue along with the Punjab National Bank scam and the Cauvery water dispute.
The TDP is actually a part of BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government in the Centre. However, the relationship has somewhat soured with the party and its chief, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu unhappy about the Centre not giving special status to the state as it was promised following after it was bifurcated from Telangana.
BJP-TDP alliance is on the rocks and TDP is leading the protest against the BJP-ruled Centre in the Parliament over the issue of Special Category Status. TDP is also seeking support from other parties over the issue of special status.
Naidu, who is an ally of BJP, both in Centre and State, has been hitting out at BJP for not fulfilling the promises. “BJP should not forget the lesson which was taught to Congress by the people. We are not seeking any favour, but asking what was promised to us at the time of bifurcation,” he said.
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