I want Pawan Kalyan to fight against the Centre: Chandrababu

AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has once again urged Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan to fight against the Centre for funds due to the State. He said it is the BJP which has done more injustice to the State by not implementing provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act than the Congress, which divided the State.

Participating in the Janmabhoomi-Maa Vooru programme at Achempeta of Guntur district on Thursday, Naidu recalled that the fact-finding committee set up by Pawan Kalyan had found that the Centre is yet to pay Rs 75,000 crore to the State.

“I want Pawan Kalyan to fight against the Centre for the release of funds to the State,’’ he said and added that there is a need to put up a united fight to get the State’s rightful share.

In the neighbouring Tamil Nadu, all parties unite for the State’s rights and the Centre yields to their pressure. However, the situation is not the same in AP as some parties are bowing before the Centre,’’ he said, hinting at the need for waging a united battle against the Centre.

Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on TDP’s alliance with the Congress, Naidu said the grand old party had included several provisions in the bifurcation Act. However, the BJP government failed to fulfil any of these promises, be it special category status or others. On Modi’s remarks that the TDP government was riddled with corruption, Naidu said AP was the third least corrupt State in the country.  “It is the BJP which is riddled with corruption. The Modi government is involved in the `43,000-crore Rafale scam and Modi is maintaining silence over the issue.

“We are fighting against corruption. We have acted tough against those who were involved in AgriGold scam and arrested the accused. We will also ensure justice to the victims,’’ he said.

Reacting to the suspension of TDP MPs from Parliament, Naidu said the TDP would not be cowed down by such attempts and added that the party MPs would continue their fight for special category status.

The CM said the BJP had managed to win only a single seat in Telangana even after Modi toured the State thrice and a battery of BJP leaders, including party chief Amit Shah and chief ministers of three states, campaigned for the party candidates.

Refuting claims of Modi about Andhra people seeking a change of government, he said that the people of the country are seeking change of BJP government. “People are waiting to vote out NDA in the coming polls,” Naidu said.