YS Sharmila Accuses Modi of Breaking His Word in Tirupati Rally
In Tirupati today, the Congress party held a Nyaya Sadhana Sabha. The meeting, chaired by Andhra Pradesh Congress Chief YS Sharmila, was attended by CPI National Secretary Narayan, former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot, CPM State Secretary Srinivasarao, former MP Chinta Mohan, among others. The Congress factions described the meeting as a special status declaration rally, which was organized at the SV Tarakarama Stadium.
During the rally, Sharmila reminded the audience that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the same ground in Tirupati in 2014 and promised to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh for ten years, in the presence of the people of Tirupati.
"Modi, who was then the BJP leader and is now the Prime Minister, promised special status for political reasons, for votes, and to win the approval of the people of Andhra Pradesh, right here in this ground. What did Modi say in that meeting? He said he understood the pain of the people of Andhra Pradesh, he came here to assure them, and promised to transform AP into a golden state, to build a capital city comparable to other cities in the country, and mentioned establishing a petroleum university. Has even one of these promises been fulfilled?"
Sharmila argued that special status is the right of the state's people, regardless of which party is in power at the center, and that every item listed in the bifurcation act is a right of the people of Andhra Pradesh. She listed several entitlements such as the construction of a magnificent capital, Polavaram project, Kadapa Steel Plant, Dugarajapatnam Port, the industrial corridor from Visakhapatnam to Chennai, and special economic packages for North Andhra and Rayalaseema, questioning whether any of these rights have been realized.
She critiqued both the previous TDP government and the current YSRCP government for failing to secure these rights, and accused both the ruling and opposition parties of colluding with the BJP.
Sharmila lambasted Modi, saying, "Modi, who claims to be a devotee of Lord Rama, has failed to keep his word even in a holy place. What should we call someone who deceives even those who have immense faith in him? What should we call Modi if not a cheater? What explanation does the BJP, which has been in power at the center for these ten years without granting special status, offer to the people of AP?" Sharmila's fiery speech highlighted her criticism of Modi's unfulfilled promises.