Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said he was fighting against the Centre because it had hurt sentiments of his state by going back on its promise to give it special category status after its bifurcation.
Addressing newspersons after meeting Opposition leaders here since Tuesday, he said he had waited four years and made 29 trips to Delhi but got nothing except some “minor things.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had repeated in his 2014 election speeches in Andhra Pradesh the special category promise made by the then Opposition leader, and present Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in the Rajya Sabha, Naidu recalled.
By its attitude, the Centre was undermining the credibility of Parliament, the Chief Minister said. The people believed him when he said the Centre would fulfill its promise to give it special status, he added.
“Our state has given the highest GST to the Centre. Instead of helping us, they are throwing mud at us. They want to damage my credibility which I have built in my 40 years political career,” Naidu said.
Asked about likely political alignments after his visit here, he said the Telugu Desam had played a crucial role in the formation of the National Front Government under V P Singh, and later the United Front Government. After the Gujral Government, his party supported the NDA without sharing power.
“We are only asking for justice for the state. The Government of India has to play a constructive role, and solve problems, and not create them,” he said.
They can have a review of the promises made. Naidu played a video showing Modi making the promise on special status, which was translated in Telugu by then BJP leader and now Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu.
The Telugu Desam leader said he had decided to quit the NDA after four long years, and asked his party to go for a no-confidence motion against the BJP government because he was worried about his state, which was like a baby, and needed support. “I had to be careful,” he said. During the no-confidence motion, the government can be asked questions on its promises.