The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, has demanded special category status (SCS) for the State and Bharat Ratna for the late N.T Rama Rao, popularly known as NTR, the film star and the founder of the Telugu Desam Party.
He was speaking at the annual ‘Mahanadu’, TDP party convention, here on Monday. The three-day party convention began here on Sunday. He said that “it is the right of the State to have special category status conferred upon it and the NDA Government should honour the promise’’.
He also demanded the posthumous awarding of Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour, to the late NTR, "in recognition of the great actor and leader's services to the State. We have demanded Bharat Ratna to NTR several times, but it has not been conceded so far."
At the Mahanadu, the CM also flayed the reported remarks of BJP president Amit Shah that the State Government had not properly spent the funds allocated for the construction of the new capital city, Amaravati, and not submitted the utilisation certificates and that was why more funds could not be allocated.
"It is unbecoming of the national president of the ruling party at the Centre to indulge in such false propaganda. The utilisation certificates have been submitted and the Niti Ayog has in fact found them to be in order," he said.
Instead of honouring the promises made to the people of the State, he said, the BJP leaders were indulging in "baseless counter-attacks and they will have to pay the price for such behaviour. The people of the State and the country will teach them a lesson’’.
He also questioned the propriety of BJP party president making statements about the affairs of the Government.
"In fact, only Rs 1,500 crore has been sanctioned and given for the construction of the new capital and Rs 1,000 crore for underground drainage in Vijayawada and Guntur," the Chief Minister clarified, and urged Amit Shah "to desist from misleading the people of the State and the country’’.
AP State Finance Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu also flayed the remarks of Amit Shah.