Stop harping on SCS, BJP tells Jagan

New Delhi: BJP Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh G V L Narasimha Rao here on Wednesday once again made it clear that the Centre would not interfere in the matter of capital and said the capital issue was within the purview of the state.

Speaking to media here, Narasimha Rao said that although the Centre had made its stance clear on capital, there were attempts to mislead the people of Andhra Pradesh that the Centre was blocking the AP government's decision on capital.

"Under the federal system, the Centre will not interfere in the affairs of state. BJP's fight against the AP government is only political," he explained.

Responding on Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking Special Category Status (SCS) for AP, the MP said Jagan needs to stop talking about the SCS otherwise his party would land in trouble politically like the previous TDP government.

"Jagan also knows that the SCS is over. The Centre had allocated funds to AP like no other state. The Centre provided Rs 22,000 crore to the state through various projects. The Union government has no intention to grant SCS to AP under any circumstances. The state was offered a special package in lieu of the SCS," Narasimha Rao said.

On the decision of the state government to abolish Legislative Council, he said politics would not come in the way of Council abolition and the Centre sees it as a constitutional matter.

He said that the Centre would act according to constitutional norms and the relevant departments would offer their views when to the subject was discussed in both the Houses of Parliament.