Rahul Gandhi reiterates special category status promise to Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “betraying” Andhra Pradesh, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday once again reiterated his support for a special category status for the state. Addressing a public meeting in Tirupati, Gandhi said that his party will fulfill the promise and give Andhra Pradesh the special category status for 10 years.

He said Modi had made the same promise five years ago, but failed to keep it.

Gandhi also alleged that the Prime Minister was “busy making a movie on himself” when the Pulwama attack (in Jammu and Kashmir in which 44 CRPF Jawans were killed) took place earlier this month. “Narendra Modi was sitting in a national park, smiling and laughing, instead of helping their families. These are people who call themselves nationalists,” he said during the meeting, which was held as part of the Congress’ 2019 Lok Sabha and assembly election campaign.

“Narendra Modi also said that he would provide two crore jobs to the youth. Every single statement of his is a lie. He has given ₹30,000 crore to Anil Ambani instead of Hindustan Aeronautical Limited, through the Rafale deal."

Promising to fulfill all of his party’s election promises, Gandhi pointed out that the Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan had announced loan waivers within 10 days of coming to power last year.

Prior to this, Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah also addressed a public meeting near Guntur earlier this month in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha (and assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh) polls. The issue of special category status has picked up steam and became a bone of contention, as all parties have been demanding for the same.

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