Hyderabad: Upping the ante against the TDP Government for its lack of seriousness on the Special Category Status to the State, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that he would undertake an indefinite fast from September 15 at Guntur.
‘The TDP was not keen even during passing the resolution in the Assembly as it has different priorities and is unable to raise its voice at Centre, I will be going on indefinite fast from September 15 at Guntur to force TDP to take the issue seriously and pull out from the NDA,’ the Leader of Opposition told media here on Tuesday.
The debate on the Special Status has lost its way with severe and unnecessary interruptions and the ruling party took the issue light as TDP wants to bury it and Chandrababu Naidu has no serious intentions to broach the subject or set a deadline.
‘Chandrababu Naidu has to set a deadline of a maximum of one month for the special status with a rider that it will pull out of the coalition if the Centre fails to yield to the demand which will emphasize the seriousness. But the TDP Government has been charting a course which is profitable to it and to cover up its fallacies in the state, including the cash for vote scam.
It has lost the moral power to bargain hard and is going soft and issuing contradictory statements. While in Delhi when the Union Ministers do not raise the issue of special status, the Chief Minister stands silent, TDP leaders give contradictory statements and summing up all these, people are confused.
I have told about the benefits we get if the State is given special status in a very elaborate and analytical manner in the House but the State’s response was poor and it appeared that the Government was in a hurry to complete a formality and lacked seriousness.
This is eyewash only to fool the people as Chandrababu Naidu has no sincerity and he has to save his skin from the cash for vote scam on a priority basis and no other issue takes precedence over it.
That is the reason why we are escalating the fight for Special Status, fifteen days from now giving TDP enough time to serve a notice to Centre that it will withdraw if the demand is not with immediately,’ he said.
What we are asking is nothing out of the box. A cabinet decision was taken to this effect by the earlier government after the subject was raised in the Rajya Sabha and it is the executive head, the Prime Minister, who has to give the nod, and TDP being an ally of the ruling coalition, must be in a position to easily convince the Centre to honour the election promise, he said.
Supplementing the assembly resolution, the TDP should issue an ultimatum to the Centre setting a deadline for the special status and should withdraw from NDA if nothing is forthcoming.
We have organized a two-day fast at Mangalagiri, held dharna in Delhi, called for a one-day bandh on August 29 and the TDP government can quote all these in the ultimatum and the Special Status should be achieved through a concerted effort.
‘Unfortunately, TDP has its own priorities and wriggling out from the cash for vote scam has been pitch-forked atop the table of priorities. Though five persons died for the cause of special status and five others attempted suicide, TDP government has paid no compensation nor even remembers their names, which is very pathetic.
The resolution was moved after we vociferously advocated for the cause and it will carry more teeth only if the TDP serves a notice to the Centre for which our Party is giving enough time and insist that the State sets a deadline failing which the case will be dragged.
If things remain the same, I will undertake indefinite fast from September 15,’ he said.
