Congress bats for special category status for Andhra Pradesh, says 'BJP government has broken its first promise by refusing grants'

Attacking the BJP on the special category status for the state of Andhra Pradesh, Congress party on Wednesday said that the Central government should fulfill the demand and promise made by former PM Manmohan Singh.

In a statement released by Congress spokesperson, Randeep Singh Surjewala read that Prime Minister Modi is 'trampling the constitution by avoiding the sole promise of Dr Manmohan Singh'. 

"Trampling upon Constitutionalism’& ‘Backstabbing the trust of People’ have become synonymous with the BJP.  New BJP government has broken its first solemn promise by bluntly refusing to grant ‘Special Category Status’ to Andhra Pradesh and disrespecting the provisions of Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014." the statement read

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Surjewala also said that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who hails from Andhra Pradesh has betrayed around nine crore people when she said that there was no proposal under consideration of the Central government to grant Special Category Status (SCS) to any state.

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Further, Surjewala asserted that Rahul Gandhi repeatedly raised the issue of denying the ‘Special Category Status’ to Andhra Pradesh and fulfilling the financial commitment to both states – Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

"We hope the new government of YSRCP will stridently take up this important issue with BJP." he said.

Surjewala also said that the former Prime Minister had made a solemn commitment to provide central assistance and a special category status to the state on February 20, 2014. The statement claimed: "On 20th February 2014, when the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill 2014 was being discussed, the then Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh had made a solemn commitment on the floor of the Parliament as Prime Minister of India that- “For purposes of central assistance, special category status will be extended to the successor state of Andhra Pradesh”.

Later, he implied that the proposal was discussed with Shri Arun Jaitley, the then Leader of the Opposition and other senior BJP leaders who agreed with the same 

"Government is a continuing entity. Commitments made on the floor of the House have to be honoured and fulfilled. They are in the nature of an assurance on behalf of the Parliament. The Congress party had expected its successor, the previous BJP Govt to fulfill the commitment that a Prime Minister of India had made." added Surjewala.

Hitting out at Modi's statements of respecting former Prime Ministers from the previous governments, he said that the current government should act on the assurances that were made.

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Surjewala concluded by saying that the government should take the initiative as a tribute that could be paid to Former Chief Minister of Andhra Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Former Prime Minister, Shri P V Narasimha Rao.