Congress Rajya Sabha member K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao created a flutter in Parliament on Friday by standing in the well of the House holding a banner that read “Help Andhra Pradesh.”
He made this appeal after the Union Government did not make any substantial allocation for the State in the Union Budget presented on Thursday.
Talking to the media later, Mr. Rao said he was pushed to register his protest in this manner because this was the last Budget of the NDA government.
At the time of bifurcation, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was the Leader of the Opposition, and on Thursday he was Leader of the House.
Mr. Rao recalled that Mr. Jaitley, along with today’s Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, M. Venkaiah Naidu, had argued strongly at the time of bifurcation that granting of special package for five years was not sufficient in the very same House. They argued that what was being granted to Andhra Pradesh was not sufficient.
But gross injustice was meted out to the state in the last Budget by the very same leaders, Mr. Rao pointed out.
About some leaders who said that the Budget was good for Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Rao wondered if they spoke out of ignorance or selfishness of mere treachery. Mr. Rao recalled how, after raising questions, introducing call attention motions and private member Bill for SCS and implementation of other benefits promised to A.P., he was forced to hold a banner asking for help.
