Andhra will remember state bifurcation day as anti-UPA day
The TDP government says that the state wAs split in An ‘unscientific mAnner’.
The N. Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP government in Andhra Pradesh has decided not to celebrate the state formation day on 2 June, when the erstwhile combined AP was separated from Telangana two years ago. Instead, the day will be observed as a mark of protest against the erstwhile Congressled UPA government that split the state in an “unscientific manner”.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu issued clear instructions to all the ministers and the officials that AP will not have any official state formation day at least for another eight years, by when the state will have its own full-fledged capital at Amaravati. Even last year, the TDP government didn’t celebrate 2 June, but this time clear instructions were issued that this will be continued for many more years.
Last year, there was some confusion on when to celebrate AP state formation day as its counterpart, Telangana will be celebrating 2 June with a lot of pomp and festivities and has chalked out elaborate plans. Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao inspected a police guard and addressed a gathering explaining how the long-time dream of Telangana was achieved. Moreover, KCR assumed office as CM on 2 June.
On the other hand, Naidu assumed office on 6 June 2014 at a public function near Guntur, but announced that it was no time for celebration for AP as the state was subjected to grave injustice by the UPA regime. In 2015, officials wondered whether to stick to 2 October, the state formation day for combined AP, which came into being after clubbing Hyderabad and Andhra states in 1956.
The TDP government dropped the idea of celebrating 2 October as AP state formation day as the combined state has become a history now. Also, the proposal of celebrating 6 June, when Naidu assumed office, was dumped due to political objections raised by the Opposition parties. Finally, there were no celebrations like felicitating artists, writers and eminent people from different walks of life on the state formation day.
This time also there will be no festivities on 2 June when the new AP with 13 districts was carved out of the combined state with 23 districts. However, week-long programmes would be held highlighting how the previous Congress-led UPA government had done injustice to AP by dividing the state in a hasty manner. At Vijayawada and Amaravati, 2 June will be observed as “Nava Nirmana Deeksha”.
AP’s senior minister P. Narayana told this newspaper on phone from Tirupati on Friday that “for the next few years, the TDP government would prefer to observe 2 June as a rededication day for building a new AP out of the rubble of combined AP”. “Our CM has taken it as a challenge to rebuild a new state with a new capital city at the earliest. Once it is achieved, we may celebrate the state formation day,” he said.
The government has drawn up a week-long programme from 2-8 June. Each day will be observed conducting meetings in all districts explaining the progress made by the government in different sectors like industries, agriculture, roads, electricity, etc. “We are passing through tough times and this is no time for festivities,” said Narayana. Naidu will address a gathering on the day at Vijaywada and expose the Congress-led UPA’s “undemocratic bifurcation”, said Narayana. Though Congress drew a zero in the 2014 elections to the Lok Sabha and Assembly in AP, TDP wants to keep up the heat against the Congress at least for a few more years. Officials in the AP government told this newspaper that though there would no state formation day, it won’t be a problem to felicitate eminent people from different walks of life as there are enough other occasions like 15 August or Ugadi, Telugu new year day etc. “How can we celebrate 2 June as AP formation day as people vehemently protested the division on that day?” asked an official.