Modi is responsible for Parl session washout, says Naidu

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of diverting the people’s attention from his inability to resolve contentious issues with a day-long fast on April 12.

“This is ridiculous and an attempt to run away from the crucial issues raised by the Opposition parties in the just-concluded Parliament session,” Naidu, the BJP’s friend-turned-foe said in a chat with media persons on the sidelines of a dinner hosted for delegates attending the three-day Happy Cities Summit that began in Amaravati.

The PM will fast in New Delhi on April 12 to protest against the disruption of Parliamentary proceedings by opposition parties. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah will sit on fast in Karnataka while party MPs will do so across the country.

“Who is responsible for the logjam in Parliament? Was it not the NDA government which was behind the AIADMK MPs, who stalled the proceedings of Lok Sabha, to avoid facing the no-confidence motion proposed by the Opposition?” Naidu asked.

He felt if the Centre really wanted, it could have constituted the Cauvery Board as demanded by the AIADMK. “The Supreme Court ordered that the Cauvery Board be constituted and the Centre could have done to do it to resolve the decades-long dispute (between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu). Who stopped Modi from doing it?” he said.

He said it was wrong on the part of the PM to blame the Opposition for the logjam. “Our MPs thoroughly exposed the deceit of the NDA government in not fulfilling the promises made in AP Reorganisation Act, including granting of special category status to AP,” he said.

The TDP pulled out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in March over the Centre’s refusal to grant special category status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh based on the 14th Finance Commission’s recommendations.

Reiterating his government’s commitment to continue developmental programmes in the state with or without the central government’s assistance, Naidu said the Centre had granted a pittance to the state for the construction of new capital Amaravati.

“The farmers had voluntarily surrendered 34,000 acres of their land worth over ₹55,000 crore for building the capital. But the Centre had given just ₹1,500 crore,” he said. “If the Centre extends help, we will welcome it. Even otherwise, we would go ahead with the works with people’s cooperation. Several NRIs are coming forward to contribute their might for creating a world-class capital city,” he added.

HYDERABAD: This (Modi’s fast) is ridiculous and an attempt to run away from the crucial issues raised by the Opposition parties in the justconcluded Parliament session CHANDRABABU NAIDU,

Andhra Pradesh chief minister