After Naidu, YSR Cong to fast for special status
Leaders of YSR Congress party, the main Opposition in Andhra Pradesh, will observe a day-long fast in Visakhapatnam on April 30 to expose the alleged volte face by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on the special category status issue.
A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held by party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy with senior party functionaries at Nuzvid in Krishna district on Sunday night.
Former minister and YSRC spokesman Botsa Satyanarayana said the party leaders would observe April 30 as Vanchana Diwas (cheating day) as Naidu was trying to cheat the people in the name of fighting for special category status.
“He had ignored the demand in the last four years and mortgaged the interests of the state with the Centre for special package. Now, he is trying to fool them by putting up an aggressive posture against the Centre,” Satyanarayana alleged.
“The TDP is equally responsible for the injustice meted out to the state by the Centre,” he said.
He said the MPs, including those who had recently submitted their resignation from their posts, MLAs, MLCs and all other senior leaders of the party would observe fast from 7 am to 7 pm on April 30 at Visakhapatnam in protest against Naidu’s attempt
HYDERABAD:
to cheat the people.
“Our party president who has been on marathon padayatra since November 6, would not take part but continue his march wearing a black badge,” he said.
The chief minister observed one-day fasting in the name of Dharma Porata Deeksha (fasting for justice) at Vijayawada on April 20, coinciding with his birthday, seeking justice to the state.
On April 30, Naidu is conducting a huge public meeting in the temple town of Tirupati to explain to the people how Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gone back on his own words on helping the state.
It was on this day in 2014 that Naidu and Modi had addressed an election meeting in the same town, where then BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate had promised to not only grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh, but also extend it for 10 years, if the BJP was voted to power at the Centre. He also assured of all help from the Centre to build a new capital for AP that would be much better than Delhi and Mumbai.
“In the presence of Lord Venkateshwara of Tirumala, Modi had promised all help to the state. But he has backtracked on his promises. Let us question him from the same place as why he has betrayed us. Let us reiterate our rights from this massive public meeting,” Naidu said.
The YSRC, however, described Naidu’s public meeting at Tirupati as yet another attempt to fool people. “We request the people not to get carried away by his rhetoric,” Satyanarayana said.
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