Chandrababu Naidu to remind Modi of 2014 promises

In an effort to remind Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the promises he made during the 2014 election campaign to the residual state of Andhra Pradesh in the holy temple town of Tirupati, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has decided to organise a massive public meeting on April 30.

The meeting will be the culmination of the state-wide campaign for special category status (SCS), slated to begin on April 16.

It was in Tirupati that Modi, then the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, declared that he will help the state build a capital more magnificent than Delhi and accord SCS.

Invoking the presiding deity of Tirumala, Modi had said, "I am giving an assurance to the people of Andhra Pradesh today, that if you send me to Delhi, we will not only fulfil the promise of special category status given to Andhra but also extend it".

Further, assuring people on building a world-class capital he said, "Don't worry that you have been deprived of a city like Hyderabad. I want to tell Chandrababu Naidu that we shall build a capital bigger than New Delhi".

Holding the BJP responsible for the din in Parliament, Naidu expressed surprise over the prime minister's decision to go on one-day hunger strike.

"The prime minister himself is responsible for the situation. He assured us on SCS and even mentioned it in their election manifesto. Now you ignore all that. As Centre, you can't declare war against a state. You can't play with the sentiments of the people," Naidu said on Wednesday in Tirupati.

Naidu, who has seen to it that his MPs do their part in the protests in New Delhi, wants to continue the struggle by pushing the fight deep into the grassroots in the state.

On April 16, there will be Praja Chaitanya Yatras, conducting cycle rallies in all constituencies.

There will be constituency-wise public meetings to bring awareness among the public on the benefits of SCS.

However, main Opposition YSRC Party MLA R K Roja has said that Chandrababu Naidu and his TDP had just woken up from the slumber and have been resorting to incoherent remarks and statements on the issue. He said if they have the guts, they should seek a fresh mandate.