No-trust motion:Battle of morality vs majority

Pitching a "majority versus morality" fight, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of reneging from his promises and vowing to continue the struggle for state's special status.

Dashing off to Delhi from Amaravati hours after the late-night vote on no-confidence motion in Parliament where Modi government won, Naidu also reminded the Prime Minister of his seniority in politics, saying he became a chief minister much before the top BJP leader got a chance to helm Gujarat.

Naidu, who kept tabs on the Parliament debate on no-confidence motion moved by his party said he knew that the Opposition did not have numbers and it was a fight of "majority versus morality", a theme he kept on repeating during his press conference here.

Complaining that resources were not allocated to Andhra citing viability and other norms, he quipped, "You ask for viability for our projects. But when it comes to Ahmedabad-Mumbai corridor, you are ready for Rs one lakh crore investment. He doesn't mind viability then for projects which are dear to him. When AP and some other states ask for money, he will talk about viability, permission, restrictions and all...Isn’t it victimisation, harassment and bias?"

Naidu also took objection to Modi's remarks against him during his reply to the debate on no-confidence motion. Modi had said that he told Naidu not to fall into YSR Congress' trap and that TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was more mature than him.

"Can he compare TDP under my leadership with tainted the YSR Congress. Every day he (YS Jaganmohan Reddy) is going to court. What he (Modi) said was that within in one year all corruption cases will be put in trial courts and people will be sent to jail. He said he will clean up. He said he will distribute Rs 15 lakh. People are talking about that. How can he compare me with tainted people," he said.

On Rao, he said they were once colleagues and Modi "should not talk like this. I was chief minister before he became the chief minister".

Asked about chances of joining hands with Congress, he said, "In India, there are some compulsions also for parties. They are fighting in different states. Then how to collaborate and all these, they will take their own comfort and convenience." He said his party did not seek Congress' support for the motion but it supported the TDP.