Minister for Civil Aviation, Ashok Gajapathi Raju who took part in a function in Vizianagaram declined to make any comment on the Andhra Pradesh Government concerns regarding the Centre’s Union Budget. Post the function, Ashok Gajapathi Raju had a brief conversation with the media representatives. Answering a media representative, ‘this isn’t the right place for me to respond, and I will not be responding to the Budget. The State Government and Central Government Committees are analyzing the 2018-2019 Union Budget’.

Ashok Gajapathi Raju contested in 2014 (as TDP Member) General Assembly Election for the Vizianagaram Lok Sabha seat, and won in the elections. Later, he was sworn in as the Minister for Civil Aviation, into the cabinet headed by PM Modi.

Talking about the Bhogapuram Airport tenders cancellation, the Cabinet Minister said that, it was indeed himself, who has suggested the Andhra Pradesh government to cancel the tenders. ‘There is no truth in what the opposition is claiming. It was completely my suggestion to the AP Govt.’, said Ashok Gajapathi Raju.

During the entire ‘Parliament Drama’ carried out by AP MPs outside Parliament, Ashok Gajapathi Raju was nowhere to be seen. Though few people pointed out the same, the media did not cover the news, for reasons only known to it.