Rajamahendravaram: Vundavalli Arun Kumar urges ramping up of pressure on Centre

Rajamahendravaram: Former MP Vundavalli Arun Kumar criticised Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and opposition leaders in the state even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself acknowledged in Parliament that the Andhra Pradesh was meted out injustice in bifurcation.

Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Arun Kumar pointed out that that first time after the division of the state the Prime Minister and Union home minister Amit Shah came faulted the Congress for way the state was divided, even describing it 'a dark moment in the history of House".

Reminding the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act and the assurances given to the state in Parliament at the time of division with regard to Polavaram, he demanded the BJP government to honour the same. The former MP recalled that he has been leaving no stone unturned to rectify the injustice by taking up legal fight as well as urging former CM N Chandrababu Naidu and the current CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to mount pressure on the Centre by pushing for a debate in Parliament, but both of them were non-responsive for obvious reasons.

"I am surprised by Jagan's silence when the Centre had put the cost of Polavaram project at Rs 20,398 crore, instead of the revised cost of Rs 55,000 crore. He should break his silence, as the project was started by his father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy," he said adding that the silence of the Chief Minister would only send wrong signals among the people.

He asked the Jagan Mohan Reddy government to implead in the PIL pending before the Supreme Court challenging the way Parliament the had dealt with the division of unite Andhra Pradesh on February 18, 2014. He said that he had filed the urgent hearing petition on Friday in the Supreme Court. He criticised the Central government for 'hoodwinking' Andhra Pradesh in Special Category Status (SCS) issue. While certain states under BJP rule are enjoying special status, the same has been denied to AP. Besides impleading in the case, Arun Kumar suggested that CM direct his MPs to initiate discussion in the ongoing Parliament session on the issue.

Recalling the events that unfolded on February 18, 2014, the day AP Reorganisation Act was passed, he said that Congress and BJP colluded and divided the state without taking into consideration the members of the Parliament. He said that it was unfair on part of the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to try to benefit from our fight to get our due from the Centre.