AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh today accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of "violating" the Anti-Defection Law by inducting four MLAs of the YSR Congress, who have crossed over to the ruling TDP, into his Cabinet.
"He (Chandrababu) has scant respect for law. He has mercilessly violated the Anti-Defection Law. Both the AP and the Telangana governments have violently violated the law (by inducting other party legislators in their Cabinets)," Digvijaya, the Congress in charge for AP affairs, told reporters at the APCC headquarters Andhra Ratna Bhavan.
The Congress leader was referring to the recent reorganisation of the Andhra Pradesh council of ministers in which four YSRC MLAs were made ministers.
"Chandrababu promised one job per household if the TDP was voted to power. He did not fulfil that promise, but provided the backdoor employment for his son (Lokesh, who was recently made a minister)," Digvijaya said.
He said, "tribals and Muslims were scrupulously kept out of the Chandrababu cabinet, which only exposed his scant respect for them."
"There were more than 600 promises the TDP made on the eve of 2014 elections but none has been fulfilled. We will bring out a chargesheet on the Chandrababu government on June 8 when it completes three years," Digvijaya said.
He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union I&B Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and Chandrababu for "spreading falsehood" and "fooling" people of AP in the name of a special economic package.
"This package benefits only Chandrababu and his cronies whereas the special category status (SCS) would have benefited the people of the state.
"The 14th Finance Commission made it amply clear that it never recommended abolition of SCS for any state, but the Central and the state governments have been fooling the people by spreading falsehood and not giving SCS to AP," the Congress leader alleged.
He said the Congress has already collected one crore signatures as part of its campaign demanding grant of the special status.
"Now we are conducting a 'praja ballot' telling people they can't be fooled in the name of a special economic package," Digvijaya added.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)