CPM politburo member Prakash Karat today demanded that the Centre grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh and also asked the Telugu Desam Party to come out with a clear stand on the issue.
"Then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made several promises, including grant of special status, to Andhra Pradesh during bifurcation in 2014. It is the responsibility of the central government to fulfil those promises.
"That the Centre did not take any steps to grant special status to AP in the last two years is totally unjustified," Karat told reporters at Guntur this evening.
The CPM leader was in Guntur to attend meeting of the state committee of the party.
TDP, which is a coalition partner at the Centre, was acting differently in New Delhi and in AP on the special status issue, he said, adding "it should come out with a clear stand on this."
CPM would fight for special status to AP, he assured.
"AP lost its capital and also suffered heavy financial loss because of the bifurcation. It is the responsibility of the Centre to render justice to the state by honouring all the promises made at the time of bifurcation," Karat said.
