In a complete U-turn, the Andhra Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lashed out at the ruling-TDP in the state and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi never promised Special Category Status (SCS) to the state.
Speaking to reporters, BJP MLCs Somu Veerraju and PVN Madhav on Sunday said that TDP was indulging to 'mudslinging' and released a questionnaire addressed to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
“Narendra Modi never promised Special Category Status even during his meetings in Tirupati, Nellore, and elsewhere as claimed by the TDP leaders. The video clips were morphed to suit their political agenda and were also shown to the journalists in Delhi by Naidu. Modi wanted to create a capital like New Delhi in Andhra Pradesh and assured support to realise the dream. This fact is being distorted by the TDP to cover their failures," Somu Veerraju was quoted as saying.
This came a day ahead of the TDP's plans to hold a public meeting in Tirupati on April 30, to highlight how Modi had 'failed on his promises that he had made exactly four years ago on that day'.
Arrangements for the meeting were made at the Sri Venkateswara University Grounds, the same spot where Modi had addressed a massive crowd before the 2014 elections.
At the time, Modi had assured the people that the BJP-government, if voted into power, would not only grant Special Category Status (SCS) but also extend it.
Addressing another press meet in Vijayawada, Narsapur BJP MP Gokaraju Gangaraju told reporters, “TDP is trying to mislead the public by twisting facts and distorting Modi’s speech in Tirupati. Nowhere in his Tirupati speech, Modi had uttered about Special Category Status. He spoke about Special Category Status in his Nellore speech. But to their convenience, TDP and Naidu has planned a ‘Deeksha’ in Tirupati. This is nothing but playing with the sentiments of the people,” Gangaraju told mediapersons.
The TDP, which walked out of the BJP-led ruling coalition, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in March this year, has dubbed the Tirupati event 'Dharma Porata Sadassu' (Meeting Seeking Justice).