BJP ally TDP's silence on special status for AP disheartening: Pawan Kalyan

Amaravati: Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan on Thursday made a scathing attack on the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) saying it was losing its moral high ground at the Centre over the Special Category Status (SCS) and warned that it had no right to "compromise" on the issue.

Noting that TDP's silence on SCS was "disheartening", Kalyan told the party not to mortgage the self-respect of the people of Andhra Pradesh with the Centre even as he lauded YSR Congress and the Telangana MPs for backing the SCS demand.

"The TDP does not have the right to compromise with the Centre on the promised SCS. People of AP got TDP-BJP into power, trusting they would bring SCS to the state. I request TDP not to mortgage the self-respect of people of AP just for 'your personal benefits'," the Telugu superstar said in a series of tweets today.

"When do we lose our moral high ground ? When we mortgage our self respect for personal benefits," he said.

"It's quite disheartening to see Union Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju's silence and the absence of TDP MPs in Parliament when the discussion on special status to AP came up. I think TDP MPs have forgotten the insult of their MPs getting beaten by North MPs in Parliament during the state bifurcation (in 2014)," Kalyan remarked.

"YSRC MPs are doing a commendable job in pursuing the SCS demand. My whole-hearted thanks to (Telangana) MPs Kesava Rao and Rapolu Ananda Bhaskar for their support to SCS to AP," Kalyan added.

The Jana Sena president also mocked at the "attitude of our political class" in New Delhi, in an indirect reference to the TDP members in Parliament.

"In Parliament, you kick us, abuse us and divide us, we are OK. And we are OK to be slavish and subservient at the cost of our people's self respect as long as you do not deny our contracts, business opportunities and bail us out from our scams and wrongdoings," Kalyan said.

"I too agree to show restraint and be cautious with the Centre but when repeated injustice is being meted out to us, then where is the need ? As per the popular demand, would they ever divide UP? Or, was the rule applied only to down south state AP only," he wondered.