Naidu's daylong fast for special status for AP becomes rallying point for opposition unity

Bringing his battle for special status for his state to the national capital, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Monday went on a daylong fast that became a rallying point for opposition unity for the second time in less than a month to fight the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut also made a surprise appearance at Naidu's 'Dharma Porata Deeksha' (day-long protest for justice) that began at 8 am. Raut said he came to attend the event as a representative of the Shiv Sena, amid strains with senior ally BJP.

Naidu ended his fast at 8.20 pm, accepting a glass of juice from JD(S) supremo and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and TMC leader Derek O' Brien were among other opposition leaders who visited Andhra Bhavan to express their solidarity with Naidu, the supremo of Telugu Desam(TDP).

The leaders in their brief speeches mounted a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a range of issues, notably the Rafale deal, with Kejriwal going to the extent of accusing him of behaving like "PM of Pakistan" and not of India in the way he treats state governments led by opposition parties.

Reacting to Kejriwal's barb, BJP's national secretary and co-incharge for Andhra Pradesh Sunil Deodhar said the leaders of the 'grand-alliance' are competing with each other on who can be more abusive towards Modi.

Naidu, who is trying to unite opposition parties, has over the last three months, held a number of meetings with opposition party leaders on forming an anti-BJP front. The TDP pulled out of the NDA government in March last year over its refusal to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh.

Demanding that the Centre fulfil promises made during Andhra Pradesh's bifurcation in 2014, the TDP president alleged that Modi was not following 'raj dharma' by denying the state special status.

"(Former PM) Atal Bihari Vajpayee said 'raj dharma' was not followed in Gujarat (during the 2002 post-Godhra riots). Now, 'raj dharma' is not being followed in the case of Andhra Pradesh. We have been denied what is rightfully ours," Naidu said.

He alleged that the central government did grave injustice to Andhra and it would have "repercussions on national unity".

"On behalf of five crore people, I'm warning this government... I came here to remind you of the promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act."
Modi, who was on his first visit to the state after the TDP walked out of the NDA government, came down heavily on Naidu, whom he repeatedly referred to as "father of N Lokesh."