Mega Telugu star and Jana Sena Party chief, Pawan Kalyan, feels stabbed not only in the back, but also in the stomach. In his second public meeting in less than three weeks, the actor and politician accused the BJP government of giving the state of Andhra Pradesh “stale laddoos” with the ‘Special Package’ announced earlier this week.
The 45-year-old actor, who supported the Telugu Desam Party-BJP combine in the 2014 elections is not thrilled with the Centre. He has vowed to fight till Andhra Pradesh is granted special status as promised.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday announced this “special package” for Andhra Pradesh which has all the benefits of a ‘special category state’ status, but without the official tag.
Kalyan asserted that Andhra Pradesh has been “stabbed twice” — once in the stomach by the Congress, which approved the state’s bifurcation, and then in the back by the BJP, who had promised it special status.
Kalyan was addressing the ‘Andhrula Atma Gourava Sabha’ (Andhra’s self-respect) rally.
Recalling that BJP passed a resolution in 1996 in Kakinada favouring division of Andhra Pradesh, Kalyan said it was not honouring the commitment (to grant special status) made in Parliament.
The special financial package for Andhra Pradesh includes full funding of Pollavaram irrigation project, tax concessions and a special assistance, but stops short of giving the state a special status.
(With inputs from PTI and NDTV)
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