TDP ministers Ashok Gajapathi Raju & YS Chowdary resign from Modi government
ET Online|
Updated: Mar 08, 2018, 07.26 PM IST
TDP ministers, Ashok Gajapathi Raju and YS Chowdary, in the Modi government today resigned from the Union Cabinet but said the party will continue to be a part of NDA. Both the ministers submitted their resignation to the Prime Minister.
Civil Aviation Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju and junior Science and Technology Minister YS Chowdary resigned after Centre denied "special category" status to Andhra Pradesh.
After tendering his resignation, TDP leader Y S Chowdary said he and his colleague Ashok Gajapathi Raju stepped down as ministers as it was necessitated by "unavoidable circumstances", but the party would continue to be part of the NDA.
Chowdary said the issue of special category status was very emotive for the state but the Centre did not address it and added that even the special package was not adequate.
He, however, said it would be unfair to say that the Centre did nothing for the state.
"We will be happy when marriages happen, not when divorces happen. It is not a good move, but unfortunately due to unavoidable circumstances we had to take this move. We are stepping down as ministers, but our president has said we will be continuing as part of NDA," Chowdhary said.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called upon Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to broker peace.
In a late night press conference, angry Chandrababu Naidu had announced a pull out from the NDA government after Centre refused to grant a special status to Andhra Pradesh.
Calling it an insult, Naidu had said that TDP waited for 4 years but BJP betrayed the state by not giving it special status.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said the government is ready to give special package but can't grant special status to Andhra.
TDP has 16 MPs in the Lok Sabha.
Civil Aviation Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju and junior Science and Technology Minister YS Chowdary resigned after Centre denied "special category" status to Andhra Pradesh.
After tendering his resignation, TDP leader Y S Chowdary said he and his colleague Ashok Gajapathi Raju stepped down as ministers as it was necessitated by "unavoidable circumstances", but the party would continue to be part of the NDA.
Aviation Minister and TDP MP Ashok Gajapathi Raju's resignation letter to PM Narendra Modi https://t.co/DXFbagSzWs
— ANI (@ANI) 1520513859000Union Minister and TDP MP YS Choudhary's resignation letter to PM Narendra Modi https://t.co/qDeS2yHOfA
— ANI (@ANI) 1520514214000Chowdary said the issue of special category status was very emotive for the state but the Centre did not address it and added that even the special package was not adequate.
He, however, said it would be unfair to say that the Centre did nothing for the state.
"We will be happy when marriages happen, not when divorces happen. It is not a good move, but unfortunately due to unavoidable circumstances we had to take this move. We are stepping down as ministers, but our president has said we will be continuing as part of NDA," Chowdhary said.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called upon Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to broker peace.
In a late night press conference, angry Chandrababu Naidu had announced a pull out from the NDA government after Centre refused to grant a special status to Andhra Pradesh.
Calling it an insult, Naidu had said that TDP waited for 4 years but BJP betrayed the state by not giving it special status.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said the government is ready to give special package but can't grant special status to Andhra.
TDP has 16 MPs in the Lok Sabha.
