Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and said that while the Centre released adequate funds for the state, it was the state government which failed to use the funds.

“In past 55 months the Central government released adequate funds for the development of Andhra. However, the state government never utilised the funds allocated in an efficient manner,” he said, countering the TDP government’s charge that the Centre did not honour its promises made in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014.

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“Our government gave to Andhra much more than what was mentioned in special status. CM of Andhra Pradesh acknowledged this package but took a U-turn as they failed to use the funds in the appropriate way and were not able to develop the state,” Modi said.

The special status for Andhra was the major reason behind the TDP breaking off from the NDA last year.

“Unhone Andhra Pradesh ke sun rise ka waada kiya tha, lekin apne ‘son’ ko hi rise karane main jutt gaye hain (CM of Andhra promised the sunrise of Andhra but fixated with the rise of his own son),” Modi said, adding, “Unhone Andhra ke gareebon ke liye nayi yojnaein chalane ka wada kiya tha, lekin Modi ki yojanaon par hi apna sticker laga diya hai (CM of Andhra promised to develop the infrastructure of Andhra but took a U-turn. He promised the redevelopment of Amravati but is now engaged in his own development,” Modi said criticising Naidu.

At the rally, the PM continued targeting the TDP chief, who has now joined the opposition parties trying to form a grand alliance to take on the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“Those who left the people of the country to live in smoke are now spreading the smoke of lies in the country. CM of Andhra Pradesh has also lost his vision of development and has joined them in their competition of abusing Modi,” he said referring to the recent attacks on him by the opposition leaders at various rallies across the country.

“The leader of TDP (Naidu) who should have worked for Congress Free India is now supporting the Congress Party,” Modi said.

Slamming Naidu for his decision to hold protest against the Centre in New Delhi, Modi mocked the TDP chief saying that he is coming for a “photo opportunity” and said that while the BJP organises rallies using the money contributed by its workers, the TDP does that from the taxpayer’s money.

TDP leaders across the state held protests against the PM upon his arrival.

Naidu had on Saturday said that he will stage a sit-in on 11 February in New Delhi for which the Andhra Pradesh government has hired two special trains at a cost of Rs 1.12 crore to ferry people to New Delhi.

Read More: TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu announces peaceful protest against PM Modi

PM Modi’s visit to Guntur was his first to the state since the TDP withdrew from the BJP-led NDA government over the Centre’s failure to accord the Special Category status to AP.

“I want to remind Chandrababu Naidu that our aim is not to create wealth for ourselves but to create wealth for the nation and to ensure the efficient use of wealth and resources of the nation,” he said.

At Guntur, the PM announced that the Centre has selected Amravati as the heritage city under the ‘Hriday Scheme’ so that that the places of mythological importance here can be preserved.

“Amravati is also called as the ‘Oxford’ and the youth from different places come here to fulfil their dreams,” he said in praise of the city which is being developed as Andhra’s capital.

At Guntur, the PM launched major developmental projects including the 1.33 million metric tonnes of Visakhapatnam Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) facility of the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL) built at a cost of Rs 1,178 crore.

Other projects such as the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited’s Vashishta and S1 development project at Amalapuram on the Krishna-Godavari Offshore Basin were also launched. He also laid the foundation stone for setting up of a new terminal of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) at a cost of Rs 700 crore at Krishnapatnam.