AP CM to sit on 'deeksha' in Delhi to secure funds for state

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Tuesday said he will soon hold a one-day 'deeksha' (protest) in New Delhi "to fight the Centre and secure the rights of the state".

During a teleconference meeting, the chief minister told TDP leaders that he will undertake a 'deeksha' in the national capital a day ahead of the Appropriation Bill is taken up in the Parliament.

"Our fight will not stop till justice is done to AP. Our MPs are also relentlessly fighting in New Delhi," the TDP chief said.

As the Budget, to be presented on February 1, would be the last for the current central government, Naidu said he would observe the deeksha in New Delhi.

Stating that the Centre owed Rs 1.16 lakh crore to the state, Naidu directed state ministers to meet their Union counterparts and exert pressure on them to release funds.

"We have written numerous letters to the Prime Minister but to no avail. We will fight it legally if they do not release funds," he said.

The chief minister called for an all-party meeting here Wednesday to discuss ways to fight with the Centre on the state issues, particularly the implementation of AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 and the promises made on the eve of state bifurcation in 2014.

The chief minister indirectly extended support to the state-wide bandh called by the AP Pratyeka Hoda Sadhana Samiti on February 1.

Meanwhile, former MP Undavalli Arun Kumar conducted an all-party meeting in Vijayawada Tuesday to mobilise support from across the political spectrum on the same issue.

While ministers Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy and Nakka Anand Babu attended as TDP representatives, the main opposition YSR Congress boycotted the meeting because of TDP's participation.

Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, former judge of Supreme Court Justice Jasti Chelameswar, former chief secretary I Y R Krishna Rao, Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president Tulasi Reddy and others attended.

The CPM did not attend the meeting but CPI leaders were in attendance.