Naidu’s U-turn on SCS due to pressure from people: Jagan

ONGOLE: Poking fun at Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for his “sudden realisation” about Central Government’s stance on the Special Category Status, which was same ever since September 2016, when they had offered ‘imaginary’ special package, YSR Congress president YS Jaganmohan Reddy said the TDP chief has taken a U-turn with elections in mind.

Addressing mediapersons at Santharavuru in Prakasam district on Thursday, the Leader of Opposition said there was nothing different in what the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley spoke during a press conference on Wednesday and during his announcement of ‘Special Package’ on September 8, 2016.

“It is rather surprising to see Naidu, who had welcomed the proposal on the midnight of September 8, 2016, praising Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu to sky high, calling Special Category Status a closed chapter and posing reverse question as to what good has SCS done to Northeast States, making a U-turn today and overreacting on the Jaitley’s comments,” he said.

Jagan said the reason for the U-turn of Naidu and his ministers withdrawing from the Union Cabinet is all due to ‘pressure’ from the people of the State. “It is can only be described as people’s victory. Fearing backlash from the people with the elections only a year away and YSRC championing people’s aspirations and sentiments by deciding to resign, Naidu had no other go, but to bow down to people’s pressure,” he said.

The YSRC chief said Naidu’s claims are akin to Britishers claiming that they had strived to give Independence to India.

He welcomed TDP ministers exiting the NDA government, but added that it should have been done when the special package was offered instead of the SCS.

No-confidence motion

Reiterating that his party is firm on moving a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led NDA government on March 21, he said the real reason for fixing the date was to give time to Naidu to make all his MPs’ support the same.  

“When all the 25 MPs from the State en masse move the no-confidence motion, it will send a strong signal. TDP MPs’ should support the no-confidence motion on that day or if they want to advance the date, I am ready. Even if they want to move the no-trust vote, we will support it. Let all the 25 MPs from the State resign en masse on the last day of the budget session of Parliament. It will lead to a nationwide debate and bring pressure on the Centre,” he said.

Jagan wondered how can the 14th Finance Commission be related to Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh. Even Abhijit Sen, a member of the commission, said they did not recommend it. “The 14th Finance Commission recommendations were accepted in 2015, but the Union Cabinet had taken the decision to accord SCS to AP in March 2014 and directed the Planning Commission to implement it,” he said.