The Centre should rescue Andhra Pradesh as a special case and the State should not be treated on par with other states, as it was bifurcated against the wishes of the people of the present Andhra Pradesh comprising the 13 districts, according to Chief Minister N Chandra Babu Naidu.
At a press meet here on Wednesday evening, he said he had spoken to the Prime Minister himself on all the issues relating to AP such as special status, the Polavaram project and development of backward areas. “It is for the Centre to give us clarity on all these issues. We are plagued with a plethora of problems for no fault of ours. We have not demanded bifurcation. In fact, the people of the 13 districts have sought a united state. The State was divided against their wishes and they are beset with all sorts of problems. Therefore, we should be compensated,” he said and added that BJP leaders had also agreed upon the issue.
The Chief Minister’s comments assume significance as demand for special status is growing in the State and the Centre seems to be in no position to accord the status.
Discuss issuesHe said the Prime Minister had invited him to New Delhi after the Independence Day to discuss these issues. “We will take up all these issues and strive to secure benefits for the State. However, it is not proper for political parties to politicise the issue. Nobody will believe the Congress Party now, if it talks about special status. It has lost all credibility,” he said.