TDP takes ‘raw deal’ protest to Delhi, Naidu tells MPs to keep up pressure

VIJAYAWADA : Even as the TDP kept up its protest over meagre allocations for Andhra Pradesh in the Union budget, Union home minister Rajnath Singh met a delegation of party MPs on Monday evening and assured them that he would soon represent the grievances of the state to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and get justice done.
The delegation, consisting of Union ministers P Ashok Gajapathi Raju and YS Chowdary and MPs K Ramamohan Naidu, Nimmala Kistappa and Thota Narasimham, met the home minister on Monday evening on his invitation.TDP supremo and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had earlier authorised the two ministers and the three MPs to hold talks with the central ministers on the budget.
A meeting between a delegation of TDP leaders and Union home minister Rajnath Singh took place on Monday, a day after a telephonic conversation between the central minister and Chandrababu Naidu over reports that the TDP was unhappy with the BJP on “the raw deal given to the state in the Union budget”.
In the closed door meeting, the MPs, according to sources, expressed their displeasure over the injustice meted out to AP in the Union budget and explained in detail to the home minister the sentiments of the people of the state. They also briefed Rajnath Singh about the views expressed by Naidu on the matter.
Rajnath sympathised with the TDP delegation and requested the leaders to give him time to convey their feelings to the Prime Minister. “I will convey your feelings to the Prime Minister and ensure that the issues raised by you are addressed,” the home minister told the delegation.
Earlier in the day, the TDP MPs staged a protest outside Parliament seeking justice for Andhra Pradesh. Holding placards and raising slogans near Mahatma Gandhi statue, the MPs — TG Venkatesh, K Sivaprasad, Konakalla Narayana Rao, N Kistappa, K Rammohan Naidu, Galla Jayadev and Narasimham — demanded that Prime Minister Modi respond to their requests.
The MPs also wanted the central government to clear the demand to carve out a new railway zone with Vishakapatnam as headquarters. ‘Save Andhra Pradesh’, ‘Keep Your Promises Now’, ‘Follow Alliance Dharma’, ‘Implement AP Reorganisation Commitments Now’ were some of the slogans raised by the MPs.
The TDP’s strategy on the issue was finalised at a teleconference that Naidu had with the party MPs on Monday morning. In the interaction, the CM told the MPs to lobby with the Centre and ensure that the state gets what was promised to it. “There should be no compromise on the state’s interests,” was the brief given to them. He also directed them to raise the issue inside Parliament to draw the attention of the Prime Minister and other MPs.
Congress Rajya Sabha members, led by KVP Ramachandra Rao, staged a protest in the House seeking justice to AP. Despite repeated pleas by Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, the Congress members continued their protest, forcing him to adjourn the House.
Later, the Congress members protested outside Parliament seeking implementation of the AP Reorganisation Act provisions. They blamed the BJP and TDP for betraying the people by not protecting the rights of the state. Ramachandra Rao told mediapersons that his party would continue to fight for the state, particularly on issues like Polavaram, Dugarajapatnam port, steel plant, railway zone and funds for backward districts.