The DMK on Tuesday backed the ruling TDP government in Andhra Pradesh and its demand for a steel plant to be set up by the Centre in Kadapa District.
DMK MP Kanimozhi visited Kadapa and met with her Rajya Sabha colleague and TDP MP CM Ramesh, who has been on an indefinite fast in Kadapa for seven days.
Speaking on the occasion, Kanimozhi said that the people of Andhra and Tamil Nadu should live like siblings born to the same mother and no one can separate them.
"We belong to the same family and that is why we understand each other. Today, this nation is run by a government which does not care about state rights and does not care about people living in states which are not ruled by the BJP. They do not fulfill promises. We have a visiting Prime Minister who doesn't attend Parliament and tend to people's problems," she said.
Referring to the TDP MP on the fast, Kanimozhi said, "I remember during the state's bifurcation, Ramesh was there in the Parliament in front of all of us, protesting for months together, fighting for your rights. Day after day, he was holding a poster saying 'Save Andhra.' Today, he is fasting here asking for rights which was promised rightfully to the people of this state."
Kanimozhi also pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured the people of Andhra Pradesh that he would fulfill promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, but did not do so.
"If the Centre stood by its word, they should have granted Special Category Status and supported the economy of the state. Not one promise that the Prime Minister made to the entire nation has been fulfilled," she said.
"The Chief Minister of the state trusted him and supported him, but the Prime Minister showed the true colours of the BJP and let you down. The Centre takes away our taxes and our rights from the states and they're growing in power, but nothing is given back to us. The BJP has only one dream; Hindi, Hindu and Hindustan and nothing else," she added.
The DMK MP reiterated her demand that the Centre must honour the promise to set up a steel plant in Kadapa district in accordance with the Reorganisation Act.
This came a day after Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu asked the Centre why it was stepping back on its promise to set up a steel plant in Kadapa district, while it was spending Rs 1 lakh crores on the bullet train project.
The Centre recently withdrew its decision to establish the steel plant claiming that the project was financially unviable. The TDP and other parties in Andhra Pradesh have decided to protest against this statement by the Centre.
TDP had pulled out from BJP led NDA alliance in March this year alleging that the Centre had not fulfilled promises made during bifurcation.
According to provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Act 2014 Act, the steel Authority of India (SAIL) had to form a committee and check the feasibility of setting up a steel plant in Kadapa district within six months of formation of the committee.