YSRCP Delhi dharna is voice of people : Botsa

Terming the August 10 dharna at Delhi as the voice and ire of the people, YSR Congress has said that it has no political interests and it is an action plan to place people’s agenda before the national capital as TDP has been ignoring the vital issue for political and commercial gains.

“While it was categorically stated in the Parliament that the question of special status to Andhra Pradesh does not arise by the concerned minister, none of the TDP MPs or the TDP Ministers have protested but it was YS Jagan Mohan Reddy who had time and again reminded the issue to the President, Prime Minister and concerned ministers,’ party Senior leader Botsa Satyanarayana told reporters on Saturday.
Brushing aside the charges that the dharna is politically motivated, he said, we have been consistently seeking special status while it was TDP which was silent on the issue and one Union Minister of TDP has said that a special package will be given based on the recommendations of an expert committee yet to be set up.
“The concerned minister and the Finance Minister have categorically stated that special status cannot be given to one state as the Finance Commission recommendations are very clear on the subject. Outside the house some leaders of BJP and TDP tried to give an impression that the restriction does not apply to Andhra Pradesh. If that is the case why did they not mount pressure on the concerned minister to rectify his statement is the question. The answer is simple. TDP has bargained for some political and commercial benefits in lieu of the Special Status and has been allowing the issue to be dragged.
We will not allow this and our leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will lead the dharna in the national capital to sound the mood and voice of the people on special status and at the same time highlight the failure of TDP in addressing the issue even 15 months after the NDA coalition took over,” he said.
The 14th Finance Commission recommendations are only alibi to drag the issue. Former Prime Minister AB Vajpayee had assured special package to Uttarakhand and it was granted. In parliamentary democracy, cabinet decisions take precedence over the recommendations of any Commission or Committee, he said.
“Similarly the union cabinet has taken three decisions on issues pertaining to our state. The Polavaram project and submergence issue, electricity and special status. While the first two have taken shape why is the third one left out, unless there are some vested interests.
TDP is trying to eke out political and commercial benefits by being silent on the issue and the party leaders accusing us of politicizing the issue is baseless.
The dharna in Delhi is part of the action plan of our party to highlight the double standards of TDP and the delay by the Centre in according to special status to the State,” he said.