NEW DELHI, May 11: Contradicting his own alliance partner the BJP, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday reiterated that he would protect the 4% reservation for the Muslim minorities, and restore all the welfare and development programmes meant for their welfare, which were scrapped by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government in Andhra Pradesh.
Addressing the last edition of the ‘Praja Galam election meeting at Murakambattu junction here, Mr Naidu appealed to the Muslim minorities not to believe the falsehood of the YSRCP leaders against the reservation.
Mr Naidu’s assurance to the Muslim voters directly contradict the narratives the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other BJP leaders were making about Muslim reservations in AP and neighbouring Telangana states. Mr Modi had told the voters in the two states that so long he was alive he would not allow reservation on religion basis and had claimed that the Congress was planning to take away the reservation benefits of the backward classes to give the same to Muslims.
“The Congress government in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh was a “laboratory for appeasement politics” by introducing a quota for Muslims depriving the BCs of their share in one night. Lingayats, Marathas and 26 other castes clamouring for inclusion into the OBC list have been ignored for years, and so was the demand for SC categorisation of Madigas,” Mr Modi had said. Mr Amit Shah had on Sunday reiterated that the BJP will would remove reservation for Muslims and share it with SC/ST and BCs.
“You all should know that the YSRCP MPs supported the NRC and CAA in New Delhi, but have unleashed false campaign against the Bills while in Andhra Pradesh,” Mr Naidu said. Terming Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy as “Rayalaseema Dhrohi,” (betrayer of Rayalaseema), the TDP chief alleged that the YSRCP chief cheated the Backward Classes in the name of social justice.
The TDP has rejoined the NDA just before the Lok Sabha elections and is contesting the elections as an alliance partner of the BJP.
Mr Naidu said the law and order situation was an utter failure in Andhra Pradesh. “A Chief Minister is not needed for pressing buttons. Even a child can press a button with more force. A Chief Minister is required to usher in development, construct roads, create infrastructure, and build educational institutions and hospitals,” he said.
The TDP chief spoke at length about the ‘AP Land Titling Act, which he termed “draconian’” Explaining the “dangers of the Act,” Mr. Naidu tore to pieces the copies of pattadar passbooks that had the picture of Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy and the Act. He reiterated that his second signature would be on scrapping the Act, while the first one would be on the Mega DSC.
Mr. Naidu, who addressed the gathering for more than an hour, sought to play the Chittoor sentiment. “I was born and brought up in Chittoor district. I am also an MLA from Chittoor district,” he said, appealing to the people of the undivided Chittoor district to give all the 14 Assembly seats to the NDA.
(Manas Dasgupta)