Terming Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s Delhi tour as a sham, YSR Congress has said that the Chief Minister has put his words into the mouths of Central leaders that the Special Status for the State is not possible.

“Instead of mounting pressure on the Union Government, Chandrababu Naidu was subdued and was silent spectator when the union ministers were searching for reasons to evade the special status and it is obvious that the Chief Minister has put the words in their mouth,’ party MLA B Rajendernath Reddy told reporters on Tuesday.

Union Ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley blaming it on 14^th Finance Commission and Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) and stating that the Special Status was not in the Reorganization Act is ridiculous and BJP was a party to the passing of the legislation and Venkaiah Naidu even argued that the special status term should be extended to ten years and not five years, he said.

In the first place the Finance Commission has nothing to do with Special Status as it does not come under its purview. The then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has assured of the special package on the floor of the house and the Union cabinet has ratified it on the next day in March 2014.

When the cabinet decision can abolish Planning Commission and set up a new body in the name of NITI Aayog why not the union cabinet take a decision on the Special status and why is the Chief Minister not mounting pressure on the Centre,’ he said.

Even Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said that the State does not need any special package but itneeds only a special status for faster economic development. This should be an eye-opener to Andhra Pradesh but the Chief Minister opted to be silent and allow the Delhi leaders to make all the talking against the Special Status in his presence,’ he said.

It was YS Jagan Mohan Reddy who voiced the concern of the people of Andhra Pradesh in Delhi on the special status and we will fight for it relentlessly under his leadership.

The August 29 bandh is one more reminder to the Centre to honour its word on special status and TDPGovernment has compromised on the issue for personal gains.

‘The Special package cannot be properly utilized as Janmabhoomi Committees, laden with TDP cadre,having become the decision making authorities keeping aside the elected representatives,’ he said and appealed to all sections to make the August 29 bandh a success.