Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu must stay put in Delhi and get executive orders on the special status for Andhra Pradesh and all benefits the residual State was assured of in the AP State Reorganisation Act, APCC President N. Raghuveera Reddy said here on Monday.
"We might belong to other parties but we will support him for the sake of AP's development. The BJP said it would extend special status to AP for 10 years beacuase the Congress did not do justice to the State, hence it should provide the Rs. 5 lakh crore package to the State", Mr. Raghuveera Reddy said at a press conference during his visit to the city as part of the One crore lakh signature campaign seeking implementation of special status to A.P.
The Telugu Desam and BJP are partners in the State and Central Governments and the special status and other benefits must be given immediately since delay would harm A.P. but both were not working in that direction, he said. Only after the signature campaign started or to get support of Telugu votes in the Delhi Assembly electoins, the Centre announced a grant of Rs. 350 crore to seven backward districts, which was a pittance compared to the Rs. 24,350 crore sought by the State. In fact it was an insult to the people of AP and lack of responsibility on the part of Central Government, he observed.
The BJP says it was not possible to give special status or package to AP while Mr. Naidu instead of putting pressur on the Center, is burdening people by increasing power tariff and VAT on fuel, eliminating pensions, delaying implementation of PRC for employeses, etc., Mr. Reddy said.
Congress leaders P. Balaraju, Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao, Kanumuri Bapiraju, Kondru Murali and others were also present.
Mr. Raghuveera Reddy conducted the signature campaign at Anakapalle and Araku on Sunday. He would return to the city on Tuesday to launch the campaign in the city after participating in the campaign in Srikakulam on Monday.
