Veteran BJP leader LK Advani has reportedly extended his support to the cause of protesting MPs from Andhra Pradesh who have been disrupting Parliamentary proceedings over the past one week, over 'injustice' to the state in the Union Budget.
This came after a group of MPs from the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) met Advani and briefed him about the issue.
According to reports, Advani expressed dismay over the attitude adopted by the Central government towards Andhra adding that justice needs to be done to the state. However, he is also reported to have emphasized that decorum of the House must be maintained.
“Justice has to be done to AP. Everyone, respect each other, and the dignity of the House should be maintained.” Advani was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, the TDP, a NDA constituent, on Friday pledged to escalate its protests if the Modi government failed to give the promised financial assistance for the bifurcated Andhra Pradesh, party leader Jayadev Galla said.
"We will keep escalating the protests till we get what is rightfully ours. We are demanding what rightfully belongs to the people of Andhra Pradesh. The people of Andhra Pradesh are unhappy," Galla told IANS.
He refused to elaborate.
The MP was participating in a debate on the budget in the Lok Sabha, stating that allies like the TDP were feeling "humiliated".
He wondered if the BJP was thinking of breaking up the alliance with the TDP and join hands with the YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh.
Galla skirted a question about the future of the TDP-BJP alliance but said the government was not keeping its promises like granting special category status to the state, setting up a new railway zone and funding construction of the new capital of Amravati.
The TDP protested in both Houses of Parliament throughout the budget session.
On Friday, party MP AN Sivaprasad came dressed like a 'tantrik', armed with a wooden pellet rattle, and performed a puja in the Parliament complex.
Sivaprasad has been playing a rattle during the protests in the Lower House as well. On Thursday, he was reprimanded by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan when he picked up some books from the table of the Lok Sabha's Secretary General.
Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in June 2014 and Andhra Pradesh was promised compensation, as revenue generating areas, including capital Hyderabad, had gone to the new state.
Leaders from both Telugu states have hit back at the Centre over the poor allocation of funds in the Union Budget.
TDP president and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has asked his party MPs to continue the protest till a categorical announcement from the Centre.
IANS inputs