Amid Protest by Telugu Desam Party Leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has postponed his visit to Deccan state, Andhra Pradesh. Prime Minister Modi is slated to visit the state on January 6, 2019. Ever since Andhra Pradesh BJP leaders announced the Prime Minister’s plans to visit the state, it had triggered a controversy with Telugu Desam party leaders including Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu raising objections.
As per the Original Schedule, PM Modi after visiting Guntur, Andhra Pradesh on January 6, was to leave for Kerala for launching the party’s campaign in a run-up the Lok Sabha elections 2019. Informing about the change in Schedule, a state BJP Functionary said that the PM had canceled his AP plan due to some sudden and urgent programmes.
However, it was claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Andhra Pradesh at the end of January. BJP State leaders said the PM would visit AP thrice before the end of February.
Earlier on December 23, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Chief N Chandrababu Naidu attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and questioned his intentions behind his proposed trip to the state on January 6. Chandrababu Naidu who had released a White Paper on Andhra Pradesh Bifurcation on Sunday also slammed the Prime Minister of coming to state without fulfilling his pre-poll promise.
The TDP leaders raised objections over the PM’s programme, saying that before visiting the state, the PM must fulfill all pending promises issues in the AP Reorganisation Act, including granting Special Category Status to the state. However, Centre Government has ruled out to grant special Status to AP on the grounds that it had already allotted special package to the state.
The Naidu led AP government had decided to observe January 6 as a protest day in view of PM Modi’s visit. Mr Naidu had also asked the people to show black flags during the PM’s visit. He said, “Why is PM Modi visiting AP, is it to check if the people here are alive or dead?”
For the past week or so leaders from both the parties are indulged in a war of words over the Prime Minister’s visit.