Opposition leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that Chandrababu Naidu has been putting his personal agenda ahead of state interests and has not been questioning the Centre on the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing Yuva Bheri in Srikakulam, Jagan appealed to the students and youth of the district to fight for the special status as it was the only way to put the state on the path of development. In an attempt to revive the fight for special status Jagan has been organizing ‘Yuva Bheri’ meetings through out the state. Last week he addressed a meeting in Kakinada.

‘It was Narender Modi, who shared the dais with Venkaiah Naidu and Chandrababu Naidu at Tirupati during electioneering, who assured that special status would be accorded to Andhra Pradesh if the NDA was voted to power but has gone back now,” Jagan said.

The Chief Minister, according to Jagan, was not able to raise the subject as he was to wriggle out of the cash for vote case and other scams. ” The CM places his personal interests above state development,’ the Leader of Opposition alleged.

“The special status gives the state an edge over other states as 90% of the central funding would be in the form of grants which need not be repaid besides there would rapid industrialization as there would be many concessions in the form of exemption of taxes and duty which leads to the growth of employment opportunities manifold as it has happened in Uttarkhand that has seen a rise of 490 % hike in jobs after getting special status,” the opposition leader said.

Jagan alleged that chief minister Chandrababu Naidu was trying to hide the actual reason for not pressing for a special status by underplaying it and spreading false notions about it, and twisting the tongue by speaking about special package which by no means was a substitute to special status. ” We have to wage a battle to get the special status tag to Andhra Pradesh and it is the only hope to get more employment opportunities and development,” he said.