The Congress on Sunday lashed out at Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and said that it would take the responsibility of granting Special Category Status (SCS) to the state.
Speaking to reporters, Congress Rajya Sabha member KVP Ramachandra Rao said, "For one whole year in between, Naidu defended the 'special package' given out by the Centre but he has finally turned around and realised that special status is the need of the hour."
Reiterating that the Congress would extend SCS to Andhra Pradesh immediately if it came to power, KVP also said that Naidu had come back to the special status demand for political mileage, unlike the Congress, which has been demanding the same since the last four years.
KVP also released a letter that he had addressed to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister where he claimed that Congress leaders had asked him to support the SCS agitation along the lines of the Jallikattu demand in Tamil Nadu, but the TDP leaders had refused to cooperate.
In July this year, seeking a debate on SCS to Andhra Pradesh, the Congress MP had moved a private member resolution in the Rajya Sabha. The debate also sought the the Centre's stand on fulfilling provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
KVP also questioned the TDP's move, where it decided not to support the private bill that was moved by him.
The demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh has been strongly articulated by the ruling TDP and the opposition YSR Congress Party in the state. The Congress has also supported the demand for the state that will go to the Assembly polls along with Lok Sabha elections in 2019.
In February this year, Congress MP KVP Ramachandra Rao created a commotion in the Rajya Sabha after he protested in the Well of the House, against the injustice done to the state of Andhra Pradesh in the Union Budget.
In 2016, the Congress MP raised the special status issue through a Private Member's Bill in Rajya Sabha and said that the BJP betrayed the people of AP by going back on the promise of granting special status.