Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday kicked off his campaign to revive the dormant party in Andhra Pradesh with a vow to intensify the fight for special category status for the State at the national level and rejected the allegation that the party was responsible for any injustice to the State at the time of bifurcation in 2014.
Prateyka Hoda Bharosa Sabha (public meeting in support of special category status) also became an occasion to demonstrate the unity of the Opposition at the national level. Along with Rahul Gandhi, senior leaders of various parties, including former UP Chief Minister and Samajwadi party president Akhilesh Yadav, Janata Dal United leader Sharad Yadav, DMK leader Elangovan, RJD MP Jaiprakash Yadav, CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy and senior leader D Raja also attended the meeting.
Addressing a public meeting at the Andhra Muslim College Grounds in Guntur on Sunday Rahul assured that the Congress was with the people of Andhra in their demand for the special category status.
He held the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre and the Chandrababu Naidu Government in the State for depriving AP the special category status.
“At the time of bifurcation, Prime Minister Manmohan Sing had promised special status for Andhra Pradesh,” he recalled.
“Even Narendra Modi had promised before Tirupati temple that he will give special status to AP. What kind of Hindu he isIJ He made a false promise at a temple,” Rahul asked.
He also wondered why TDP and Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party stopped demanding the status which could have given thousands of crores to AP. He promised that Congress along with other parties from across the country will not back down till the demand of the people of AP was met.
The meeting was significant as it was a first major event organised by the party after it was completely wiped out from the State after the anti-Congress wave in 2014. The people of the State had revolted against it in unison after Congress led UPA Government passed the AP State Reorganisation Bill paving the way for formation of Telangana State. While TDP BJP alliance was voted to power, Congress could not get a single seat in the State Assembly.
“The decision to bifurcate AP was unanimous. All parties supported it,” he said refuting that Congress alone was responsible.
Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav hopes that the unity demonstrated by many parties in Guntur will further strengthen and take the country in a new direction.
lashing out at the Modi Government for its failures, Yadav urged Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to link support in the Presidential elections to the special status demand.
Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy urged the TDP rank and file to revolt against Chandrababu Naidu for pursuing the wrong policies and supporting Narendra Modi Government blindly. “We will work to bring a secular Government to power at the Centre,” he said.