Visakhapatnam: The Congress which was successful in cornering the ruling BJP in the Rajya Sabha on the Special Category Status for AP has prepared an action plan to take the issue to the masses in every corner of the state. PCC chief N. Raghuveera Reddy said the party will launch the action plan on August 5.

Mr Raghuveera Reddy, who met the families of those onboard the missing Indian Air Force transport plane AN 32, alleged here on Sunday that both the BJP and the TD were enacting a drama on the special category status.

He alleged that chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was now more interested in additional Assembly seats to accommodate the defected MLAs than fighting for special category status.

“Chandrababu Naidu is afraid of the cases against him and is not bringing pressure on the Union Government on the special category status. When the Congress assured AP of five years of special category status, Narendra Modi during 2014 poll campaign promised 10 years of SCS and Naidu demanded 15 years of such fund allocations.

And now, after coming to power, both are keeping mum on the status and enacting a drama.

The Congress was successful in garnering support of as many as 11 political parties in Parliament for the cause of SCS for the state and continues to fight for it," said Mr Raghuveera Reddy.

He also questioned the rationale behind the granting of such a status to Uttarakhand by the then NDA government under the leadership of A.B. Vajpayee. Mr Modi had deceived the Andhra public by only giving soil and water instead of granting special category status, he said.