NDA not in favour of special status to AP: Manmohan

Rahul to strive for what’s due to Andhra

Anantapur: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday remarked that the NDA Government was not in favour of conferring special status on Andhra Pradesh. He was addressing the meeting here along with AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi in connection with decennial celebration of introducing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme at Bandlapalle village in the district.

The former prime minister recalled that the Central government announced special status to Andhra Pradesh for five years during the deliberations on bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in Parliament.

He said that the government had even made necessary arrangements for conferring special status. “Unfortunately, NDA assumed power after the general elections in 2014,” he said adding that the NDA was not interested in conferring special status to AP.

AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressing the huge gathering came down heavily on the TDP and YSRCP. “It was the moral responsibility of the government (NDA) to implement the assurance made by the government (UPA),” he said referring to the special status promised by the Congress government.

Rahul Gandhi wondered as to what the TDP which was in power in AP and YSRCP which was in opposition were doing to achieve special status to the state. “They are not fighting for the status in unison,” he said.

He exhorted both the parties to join hands with the Congress party to achieve special status to the state. This is not a political issue but the self-respect of the Andhra people, he added. He declared that the Congress would continue its struggle to achieve special status to the State.