Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Tuesday announced that he will not attend the all-party meeting called by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu over the demand for special category status on Wednesday.
The Jana Sena chief in an open letter to Naidu expressed surprise over the government extending invitation on Tuesday evening for a meeting to be held on Wednesday.
Pawan said holding the meeting without giving sufficient time to the parties and without deciding the agenda would serve no purpose. "This gives rise to the suspicion that the meeting is being convened for political mileage," he wrote.
The actor made it clear that Jana Sena remained committed for a joint struggle to achieve special category status and implementation of commitments made in Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. He said the party would join hands only if there was sincerity in the struggle.
Naidu on Tuesday decided to call an all-party meeting on Wednesday to discuss special category status and incomplete implementation of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.
The ruling Telugu Desam Party appears to be trying to bring the issue of special status to the centre-stage before the last Parliament session.
Stating that TDP is taking the Centre head-on over the issue of the state's rights, Naidu told TDP leaders that all the parties should join hands with them in carrying forward this battle.
However, on Tuesday, Pawan was one of the prominent figures who attended an all-party meet called by former MP Vundavalli Arun Kumar.
Speaking at the event, Undavalli said that issues pertaining to bifurcation of the state, implementation of the Bifurcation Act and Special Category Status (SCS) were discussed.
Besides Pawan, those who attended the meet included former state Chief Secretary I Y R Krishna Rao, who recently joined the BJP and retired Supreme Court Justice Chelameswar. From the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Minister for Social Welfare Nakka Anand Babu, Agriculture Minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy and AP Planning Board Vice-Chairman C Kutumba Rao were present.
IANS inputs