SCS, lifeline of people

Hyderabad, Sept 28: Reaffirming that special category status (SCS) is the lifeline of the people of the state which has been underplayed by Venkaiah Naidu and Chandrababu Naidu who have been working and speaking in tandem, YSR Congress has said that it will continue its fight until the goal is achieved.

 ‘While special status benefits the multitude of people special package will benefit a select contractors and a coterie. Venkaiah Naidu advocating the TDP view point that the special status is not a wonder drug raises doubts about his political affiliations,’ party leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy told reporters here on Wednesday.

 It was Venkaiah Naidu who has been touring the state more frequently, despite his claim that he was elected from this state, and participating in a slew of felicitation functions in which he has been constantly praising Chandrababu Naidu and undermining the need for special status.

 It was the same Venkaiah Naidu who sought special category status for 10 years in Rajya Sabha and Chandrababu Naidu wanted for five more years. After coming to power the duo is working hard to push the issue to back burner, he said.

 The Union Minister’s claim that he had went back on the special status issue after leaders from other states approached him and sought the same benefit for their states has no relevance as it was the same Venkaiah Naidu who spoke about the need for special status which was included in the election manifesto and released at Vizag before the 2014 elections which came after the Parliament session, he said.

The amount released by RBI to the states having special category status was three times more than that of Andhra Pradesh and the many riders for giving the benefit to our state have come up only after forming the government and not even during electioneering, he said.

 ‘It is unbecoming on part of Venkaiah Naidu to speak ill about YSR Congress during his felicitation at Tenali,’ he said.

 ‘While YSR Congress stands for the people, leaders opposing the special status and ask for special package have a commercial agenda,’ he said adding that they will take up the issue to its logical end.