All Congress MPs decided to intensify their fight to achieve special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
While Rahul Gandhi himself will raise the issue in Lok Sabha, as the grand old party has no representation from Andhra Pradesh, Rajya Sabha members from state press for the status in Upper House.
This was the decision taken in a Congress MPs meeting convened by AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday in Parliament House New Delhi to discuss the broken promises of NDA including the issue of special category status.
Rahul said while Modi led NDA was prime accused in the denying the special status to Andhra Pradesh, the ruling party of Andhra Pradesh was accused number 2(A.2).
“The UPA government made a commitment to bestow the special status on Andhra Pradesh following the demand from the Opposition leaders such as Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitely at the time passage of the AP Reorganization Bill in 2014. As per the commitment UPA initiated the process. Manmohan Singh’s cabinet had referred the matter to the Planning Commission of India, wbich was abandoned by the NITI Aayog,” he said.
Rahul said as there was no planning commission now, Modi cabinet could straightaway accord special category status to Andhra Pradesh citing the special circumstances under which the state was bifurcated and the resultant loss to the state like capital, revenue etc.
“While Modi government is not ready to give the concession to the state, TDP, even though part of NDA government, has failed in putting enough pressure on the NDA,” Rahul said calling upon the Congress and the people of the state to wage a battle treating Modi as prime accuse and TDP’ Naidu accused number 2. Besides Congress MPs KVP Ramachandra Rao, T Subbirami Reddy and JD Seelam, AICC AP incharge Digivijay Singh was also present in meeting.
