Cong. demands all-party meet on Centre’s assurances to A.P.

Jagan conveniently forgot this demand after coming to power, says Sailajanath

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president S. Sailajanath on Friday asked Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to convene an all-party meeting to step up pressure on the Central government for the implementation of the assurances given to the State in the A.P. Reorganisation Act.

Addressing a media conference here, he said that Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy was unable to question the Central government over the denial of funds and the Special Category Status for A.P. “Opposition leaders Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan too don’t have guts to question Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah as all of them had their political compulsions. Their inability had led to injustice to residual A.P.,” he said.

“When Mr. Jagan was in the Opposition, he used to talk about the importance of an all-party meeting and leading a delegation to New Delhi over the implementation of promises made during the division of the State. Now he has conveniently forgotten these two important aspects after assuming power. Instead of demanding them, he is pleading with Mr. Modi and Mr. Amit Shah for justice. He always highlights what he has asked from the Central government, but never reveals what has been assured to the State by the Prime Minister. Mr. Jagan should speak out clearly on this issue,” said Mr. Sailajanath.

Debt burden

Party senior leader N. Tulasi Reddy and Srikakulam DCC president Yedla Adiraju said that the real justice to Vizianagaram district and other parts of A.P. was done only during the Congress regime. “During the TDP regime and the governance of the YSRCP in the last few months, nothing has been done to A.P. Instead, the State has been pushed into a debt trap. Mr. Jagan, who used to criticise over the heavy debt burden of the State, has borrowed nearly ₹35,000 crore. It will lead to a financial crisis in the State,” Mr. Tulasi Reddy said.

PCC women’s wing chairperson Pedada Ramani Kumari and A.P. Youth Congress president P. Rakesh Reddy said that the frontal organisations were fully geared up to face the ensuing local body elections.

Earlier, addressing the party cadre, Mr. Sailajanath and other leaders said the party candidates who contested the recent Assembly polls should strive to strengthen the party from the grassroot level.

The Congress leaders also participated in a protest demanding reservation in promotions as a fundamental right.