E-Paper
TDP plans ‘pungent’ attack in Parliament to demand Andhra special status
Members of N Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP held a demonstration outside Parliament House on Monday, demanding a discussion and voting on the Andhra Pradesh special category status in the Rajya Sabha.
The Telugu Desam Party’s war against the Centre is not yet over in Parliament as the Rajya Sabha is set to discuss on Tuesday the unfulfilled issue of granting the status of the special category state to Andhra Pradesh.
The contentious issue led to a no-confidence motion debate in the Lok Sabha last week when the southern party’s leaders launched a frontal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A similar attack on the government is expected on Tuesday when the Upper House takes up the issue for debate.
“The party is expected to launch the most pungent political attack on the government,” said a political functionary.
No-confidence motions can’t be taken up in the Upper House.
Even as the issue was discussed threadbare in the Lok Sabha, the TDP’s members of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha had tried to disrupt the Upper House on a few occasions.
According to an official, the party’s floor leader YS Chowdary had a heated argument with none other than the House chairman, vice-president Venkaiah Naidu during one of the internal meetings.
Chowdary almost refused to allow the House to run smoothly and insisted that his party has the right to protest.
An irked Naidu warned Chowdary that his party members may face tough action if they continue to protest. Finally, at least nine TDP MPs gave a notice for a Short Duration discussion on the issue and the government, which decisively won the no-confidence vote, immediately agreed for another debate in the Upper House.
“To raise a discussion on the non-implementation of the provisions of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014,” the notice read.
Members of N Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP held a demonstration outside Parliament House on Monday, demanding a discussion and voting on the issue in the Rajya Sabha. They also demanded that a discussion must be held in the Upper House.
A furious TDP even gave a “shraap” (curse) in the Lok Sabha during the no-confidence motion debate that the Bharatiya Janata Party would be decimated in Andhra Pradesh.
Jayadev Galla, the party’s lawmaker from Guntur, slammed Prime Minister Modi for what he called a misleading and deceiving the people of Andhra Pradesh.
“Do you have respect for that your predecessor (Manmohan Singh) has promised? How can we function if the word of PM is not fulfilled?” Galla asked.
The TDP reminded Modi that the BJP’s 2014 manifesto promised to give Andhra Pradesh additional five years of the special category state status.
“In front of Lord Balaji, you promised special status. You asked us to choose Scheme Andhra or scam Andhra. Why should we have confidence and trust in you? The BJP would be decimated in Andhra Pradesh if you don’t fulfil promises,” said Galla
