PM Modi insulting AP people by delaying special status: Congress

The party also announced 'matti satyagraha' under which it will collect soil from various places in the state and send it to the PM

The Congress today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "insulting" people of Andhra Pradesh by "failing" to implement the promise made by previous UPA government on granting special category status to the state.

The Congress also announced 'matti satyagraha' (soil movement) under which it will collect soil from various places in the state and send it to the PM.

"Instead of announcing the special status at the foundation stone laying ceremony of new AP capital (at Amaravati) last month, the Prime Minister only brought 'matti and neeru' (soil and water) from Delhi for which we feel that he has insulted people of Andhra Pradesh (sic)," said state unit Congress president N Raghuveera Reddy.

He said the 'soil movement' will be organised in first week of December.

Earlier, Congress workers paid tribute to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 98th birth anniversary.

On the occasion, Reddy administered a 'pledge' to the party cadres to fight for the cause of the special status.

"Special status is the right of the people of Andhra Pradesh. We will fight until we achieve it," he said, adding that the NDA government has failed to implement the promise made by the erstwhile UPA government on granting the special status.

The Congress leader said the Centre was "intentionally" avoiding granting of special status and implementing the promise to this effect under the AP Re-organisation Act.

Andhra Pradesh was last year bifurcated to create Telangana under the Congress-led UPA-II regime.

Recalling Gandhi's contribution to nation, Reddy said Modi was trying to "undo" her good work by abolishing pro-poor welfare schemes introduced by her and by removing her name from various government schemes and institutes.

"The NDA should withdraw such unethical actions and re-introduce all those schemes that are abolished and restore Indira Gandhi's name to those institutes which were established in her regime," he said.