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Naidu to PM: Act like statesman, solve AP division concerns

August 29, 2013 00:26 IST

Telugu Desam Party President N Chandrababu Naidu tonight urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to break his silence and take a "proactive role" in resolving the concerns and do justice to all over the proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

In a strongly-worded six-page letter to Singh, the former chief minister accused him of being "totally indifferent and inefficient" in handling the sensitive issue and failing to act like a statesman.

"When people of Andhra Pradesh are going through trauma and agony due to the (July 30) decision of Congress Working Committee (to split AP & grant statehood to Telangana), I expected you to take a proactive role as a statesman instead of becoming a pawn in the party's murky politics.

"You are treating the division of the state as an internal affair of Congress. Don't you have the minimum responsibility of addressing the serious concerns of the people with a sense of utmost urgency?" Naidu said.

Strongly condemning the "indifferent attitude" of the Centre towards Telugu people who have been fighting for justice, the TDP chief wondered if it was not "abdication" of responsibility by the prime minister in remaining a "mute spectator" when crores of people are on the streets.

Naidu recalled a letter he had written to the Prime Minister on August 9 seeking his immediate intervention to resolve the agitating people's concerns.

"Unfortunately, so far, no tangible steps have been taken by the government of India in this direction. Both the government of India and the government of Andhra Pradesh are in a state of limbo.

"Is your government not responsible for the crisis in Andhra Pradesh and therefore needs to take immediate steps to pacify the agitating people by resolving their concerns"? the Leader of the Opposition said.

He requested the PM to take urgent steps to restore peace in the state.

Naidu's letter came on a day when the mass agitation in Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra against the proposed division of the State entered the 29th day. 

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