Andhra Pradesh special status demand LIVE Updates: TDP ministers resign from Modi govt

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) today pulled out its two ministers - A Gajapathi Raju and YS Chowdary - from the Union Cabinet. Raju held the office of Union Aviation Minister, and Chowdary was the Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences. Both the ministers submitted their resignations today.

Our ministers in central cabinet and BJP ministers in our cabinet have resigned. However, these ministers worked good in the state. They brought considerable reforms in their departments. I thank them for their services: #AndhraPradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu in state assembly pic.twitter.com/hcNhREHcnD

- ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018

The TDP chief in a tweet on Wednesday said: "The Centre has been taking one sided decisions and our patience has run out now. When the purpose of joining the union cabinet hasn't been fulfilled, it's best to resign now."

I am not angry with anyone. This decision has been taken only to benefit the people of Andhra Pradesh.

- N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) March 7, 2018

This comes after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday ruled out any possibility of giving special category status to Andhra Pradesh, citing constitutional obligations. The Finance Minister referred to the 14th Finance Commission's recommendation which does not permit special category status to a state except the north-eastern states and the three hilly provinces.

LIVE UPDATES

RJD Leader Manoj Jha on TDP's Special Status Demand 
N Chandrababu Naidu took a historical step. Why did our CM (Nitish Kumar) took a step back? Letter was written to him to create pressure over issue of special status to Bihar. This is much needed especially with the kind of disparities here. CM should muster up at least 1% of Naidu's courage.

Ram Vilas Paswan on TDP's Special Status Demand 
Nitish's government has been demanding Bihar's special status for long and we've got a special package which is monetarily as beneficial as special status. But, despite this some people aren't satisfied and to them I will just say that India can only grow in NDA's regime. 

01:35 pm: Let us not get confused. When the state of Andhra Pradesh was made, the people did not want to be treated as a residue material. There were some assurances made. UPA govt made some commitments, now these commitments are the questions: TDP MP Ashok Gajapathi Raju

01:20 pm: Prime Minister Modi had promised Special Status to Bihar in March 2014 during Lok Sabha election rally at Muzaffarpur. Nitish (Bihar CM) must play that speech recording in front of the Prime Minister: Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Why Nitish not asking his boss to accord Special Status to Bihar?

PM Modi had promised Special Status to Bihar in March 2014 Loksabha election rally at Muzaffarpur. Nitish must play that speech recording in front of PM.

For personal gains Nitish surrendered Bihar's benefits.

- Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) March 8, 2018

 

01:02 pm:  TDP MP CM Ramesh arrived at the Parliament wearing t-shirt with 6 demands for the state of Andhra Pradesh printed on it.

 

TDP MP CM Ramesh arrived at the Parliament wearing t-shirt with 6 demands for the state of Andhra Pradesh printed in it. #Delhipic.twitter.com/F5K7qmGgkO

- ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018

11:15 am:  What Arun Jaitley spoke yesterday is not good. You are holding hand of the North Eastern states but not Andhra Pradesh's. You are giving industrial incentives to them, not to Andhra Pradesh. Why this discrimination? Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu.

 

10:30 am: No one from AP was willing to bifurcate, all resources related to generation of employment were in Hyderabad, bifurcation was not done in a scientific way & injustice done with the Andhra Pradesh: TDP MP Srinivas

 

Other parties who are sympathetic to our cause have also started protesting on various issues but in support of us. Next step is coming out of the cabinet, after FM Jaitley's statement yesterday: Jayadev Galla, TDP pic.twitter.com/23FJOY3Sq4

- ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018

10:20 am: It is not good that TDP has decided to breakaway from with NDA. Want to appeal to AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu that he must think over this decision once again for development of people of AP they should stay with NDA: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale.

 

Andhra Pradesh CM and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu late night on Wednesday accused the Modi government of not honouring its promise and threatened to pull out of the Modi Cabinet. "Arun Jaitley's statement was the last straw. They are apparently predetermined. They don't appear to help the state," he said.

Finance Minister Jaitley in a press conference on Wednesday said that the government was committed to meeting all promises made to Andhra Pradesh at the time of carving out of Telengana four years back.

"But giving special category status, as demanded by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, to any state apart from those in the North East and three hilly provinces is not constitutionally possible after the implementation of the 14th Finance Commission recommendation," he added.