Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president Shailjanath came down heavily on Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for his ‘doublespeak’ on the issue of special status to the State.
The Congress leader said Mr. Naidu had originally demanded the Centre to grant special status to AP for a period not less than 15 years. “But later, he did not murmur about the talk that the Centre would grant such a status only for a period of 10 years. And now, he is saying that a special status was not a panacea for all ills that the State is going through,” he said.
“As this was not enough, Mr. Naidu is behaving as if the foundation stone-laying function for the new Capital was a party function and not one in which Telugu-speaking people hailing from all over the State had a stake,” he criticised. “Only his family and party leaders are seen,” Dr. Shailjanath said, continuing his tirade and adding that in such circumstances, the pride and self-respect of people from Andhra and Rayalaseema were hurt because they were not taken into confidence, he said.
Dr. Shailjanath also referred to Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu saying similar things about special status not being the answer to the State’s woes.
