Modi never promised SCS, says BJP

Ahead of the Telugu Desam Party’s “Dharma Poratam” meet in Tirupati, the BJP led by MLCs Somu Veerraju and P.V. N. Madhav on Sunday flayed the ruling party for misrepresenting the work done by the Central government in Andhra Pradesh.

Alleging that the TDP leaders including Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had resorted to “mudslinging” and spreading lies, the BJP leaders sought to clear those allegations by presenting video clips and releasing a questionnaire comprising 10 queries for Mr. Naidu to answer.

“Narendra Modi never promised Special Category Status even during his meetings in Tirupati, Nellore, and elsewhere as claimed by the TDP leaders. The video clips were morphed to suit their political agenda and were also shown to the journalists in Delhi by Mr. Naidu,” they said.

Playing the “real and morphed” video clips, the BJP leaders said Mr. Modi’s words of how a “special status package” could accelerate development were reportedly modified to fuel the prevailing protests/demonstrations across the State.

Addressing the media, Mr. Veerraju urged the TDP leaders not to involve the name of Lord Venkateswara in their public meeting and spread falsehood.

“During the public meeting in Tirupati, Mr. Modi wanted to create a capital like New Delhi in Andhra Pradesh and assured support to realise the dream. This fact is being distorted by the TDP to cover their failures. We do not want them to utter lies in the temple city. If they want to speak the truth, what about the nearly 600 promises made in the TDP’s electoral manifesto,” he asked.

Mr. Madhav questioned the timing of the protest as it was Mr. Naidu who accepted the Central government’s financial assistance against the SCS, highlighting the change in the latter’s stance through video clips. He also said it was the TDP but not the BJP which was detrimental to the State’s development as the funds from the Centre were not utilised properly, except for extravagant programmes.

They also displayed video clips on how Mr. Naidu had spoken differently on farm loan waivers, defections, pending projects and other issues. Asked about the SCS, the leaders said they would do everything that would be possible under the tag but not the name.

U-turn on SCS

Staff Reporter in Vijayawada adds:

Narsapuram MP Gokaraju Gangaraju alleged that the offer of special package made to the State by Mr. Modi at an election rally in Nellore was being deliberately twisted and projected by Mr. Naidu as a promise made on SCS in Tirupati.

Addressing the media here, Mr. Gangaraju said Mr. Naidu had repeatedly said that special package was better than SCS. He had taken a U-turn due to the pressure exerted by the YSR Congress Party.

The Centre was ready to extend assistance to the State even now, but the State government was not willing to avail it due to its political compulsions.

‘CM misleading people’

Special Correspondent in Visakhapatnam adds:

Displaying video clippings of Mr. Modi’s speech at a public meeting in Nellore, BJP Floor leader in the Assembly P. Vishnu Kumar Raju said the Prime Minister’s video was edited to show that he would give SCS, and it was misleading.

At a press conference here, Mr. Raju said, at the Tirupati election meeting of Mr. Modi, there was no mention of the issue. The Chief Minister should not mislead the people for his own political purposes.

On Mr. Naidu referring to cases against him, Mr. Raju said he was suffering from fear psychosis.

Mr. Raju wanted HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao to focus on issues such as sand mafia and water, pollution, and staff in KGH.

‘Andhra University has only 40% of faculty. If I were the Minister concerned, I would have resigned,” he said.