YSRCP, TDP spar over Andhra special status

July 21, 2024 20:04

Leaders of the ruling Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh and opposition YSRCP engaged in a war words ahead of Parliament's Budget session over the issue of special category status for the state and its interests.

The session begins from Monday and will have 19 sittings till August 12.

After an all-party meet convened here by the BJP-led government at the Centre on the eve of the session, the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP accused the TDP of ignoring the issue of special category status and compromising the state's interests.

The TDP, a BJP ally, hit back by blaming the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy government for Andhra Pradesh's financial woes, and said the N Chandrababu Naidu-led dispensation will come out with a white paper in a day or two on the financial status of the state which will send "shockwaves".

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who was present at the meeting, took a swipe at the TDP, saying the JD-U and the YSRCP demanded special category status for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, respectively, but "strangely" the TDP kept quiet on the matter.

Like the TDP, the JD-U is also an ally of the BJP and part of the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre.

Briefing reporters on the issues raised by the YSRCP at the all-party meeting, the party's floor leader in the Rajya Sabha, Vijaisai Reddy, said the YSRCP demanded imposition of President's Rule over the law and order "breakdown" in the state under the TDP's rule of a few weeks.

He said eight issues were raised by his party, and the first one was of special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

"It has been our demand right from the day it was promised by then prime minister Manmohan Singh on the floor of the Rajya Sabha. Even today, we demand that the special category status is the only solution. The TDP is completely ignoring the issue...it is compromising with the interests of the people of the state," Vijaisai Reddy said.

He said the YSRCP also raised the issues of Andhra Pradesh's share in the central pool of taxes and states following population control being "punished" in share of revenue. The issue of population as a criteria for sharing of funds must be addressed by the Finance Commission, Vijaisai Reddy said.

He said the party also raised the issue of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, saying it is opposed to any attempts of its privatisation.

"Another very important issue raised was that of lawlessness in Andhra Pradesh and the breakdown of law and order," Reddy said. -- PTI

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