YSRCP chief accuses TDP of cheating people on special status issue

Vijayawada: YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Tuesday accused ruling TDP of cheating people on the special status issue even as he appealed to people to make successful the Saturday's shutdown called by his party.

"The bandh call given by the YSRCP on August 29 is not for me but for the benefit of future of the state and its people," Jagan told reporters.

He was addressing the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists at Tadepalli near here.

"The TDP cheated the people of AP by making a false promise on granting special status to the state at the time of last Lok Sabha elections," he said.

"The TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu should be punished for making false statements on the special status issue and not fulfilling the promises made to people," he added.

Special status enables AP to get more percentage of Central funds in the form of grants and exemption for many taxes and duties, which will attract investments thus speeding up the process of development, Reddy had said earlier this month while announcing the bandh.

Naidu today had a meeting in New Delhi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley amid escalating pressure from the opposition parties in AP on the demand for granting special status to the state as promised during bifurcation last year.

Jaitley said the Centre would prepare a "roadmap" for implementing key provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and a final view on granting special status to the state would be taken "reconciling" with the Finance Commission's recommendations.