Janjivan Bureau / Hyderabad : More than a week after the Telugu Desam Party pulled out of the NDA over denial of Special Category status to Andhra Pradesh, BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday termed the decision of the regional party as “unilateral and politically motivated”.
In an open letter to TDP president and AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, he accused the former ally of trying to whip up public sentiments over the special status issue to further its political interests.
“I am afraid your decision (to end the alliance with the BJP and exit NDA) will be construed as being guided wholly and solely by political considerations instead of development concerns. This is unilateral and unfortunate,” Shah said in his six-page letter.
Refuting the charge that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had failed to handhold AP which is grappling with post-bifurcation problems, the BJP chief said, “It is widely known that the Union Government led by Narendra Modi has left no stone unturned in ensuring the growth and prosperity of Andhra Pradesh.”
Holding the Congress responsible for the hasty bifurcation of AP in 2014 and showing zero sensitivity towards the people of the successor state, Shah pointed out that the BJP had lent its voice of support to safeguard the welfare of the Telugu people.
“When the TDP was not having adequate representation in both the Houses of Parliament, it was the BJP that set the agenda and ensured that justice is done,” Shah said.
The TDP, the biggest southern ally of the saffron party, ended the alliance earlier this month after the Centre ruled out granting Special Category status to the state. The 16-member party has also given no-confidence notice against the NDA government in the Lok Sabha, which could not be taken up due to continuous uproar in the Lower House.
Stating that the issue of Special Status was nothing but “whipping up of sentiments” by certain political parties, Shah said, “I would like you (Naidu) to introspect whether political parties should be pitting sentiments against each other to further their political agenda.”
Citing the amended terms of reference by the 14th Finance Commission, the BJP chief said the Commission had awarded Rs 22,113 crore to bridge AP’s revenue deficit for five years. He assured that new railway zone, Kadapa steel factory and Duggirajapatnam port were under active consideration of the central government.
Shah asserted that the BJP would continue to work for the development of AP despite the fact that the TDP had “squandered away the public mandate earned together” for political reasons.
