Telugus disrupt GVL’s speech in U.S. over SCS

Rajya Sabha member G.V.L. Narasimha Rao’s interaction with the NRIs organised by the Overseas Friends of BJP in New Jersey on Thursday was marred by protests over the Central government’s inability to give the Special Category Status (SCS).

Some of the participants interrupted his speech when he claimed that the special financial assistance was more beneficial than the SCS and it was the State government that had spurned the offer due to its own reasons.

Slogans raised

The protesters held Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible for the plight of A.P. and questioned why he maintained a stoic silence as the State struggled to cope with the fallout of bifurcation because of the injustice meted out to it.

Mr. Rao told them they should not become a part of the propaganda that the BJP did nothing for A.P., to which the protesters objected and staged a walkout shouting “Jai Andhra”.

The organisers said questions were welcome but the event could not be hijacked.

In a press release, Mr. Rao said the protesters owed allegiance to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and they came only to disrupt the programme. He called it cheap propaganda tactics of the TDP allegedly directed from its headquarters.

“We knew that there were messages circulated earlier from the TDP to attend, raise questions and disrupt. We could have prevented their entry but we allowed them to participate and I was willing to answer all their questions but they were there only to disrupt,” he said.

Mr. Rao said he would be in the U.S. in the next few days when the NRI-TDP could engage him in talks. He was prepared to not only answer each and every question posed by them but also convince them on the special focus laid on A.P.