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The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Tuesday, 26 May, adopted a new resolution in which it lambasted the NDA government for its "dictatorial" attitude towards states, as its leaders vowed to unite regional parties to dethrone the "anti-people" BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The resolution passed at the TDP's three-day annual conclave "Mahanadu", that began here on Sunday, alleges that the Centre was weakening the financial condition of states.
"The unilateral style of functioning of the Modi government has led to a loss of trust of states in the central government. The states feel that the concept of federalism is only on paper," the resolution reads.
The "dictatorial" attitude of the Modi government, its "unilateral and anti-people decisions, misuse of central agencies to suppress political opponents have become a matter of grave concern in the Indian polity", it reads.
In March, the TDP pulled out of the NDA government over the Centre's refusal to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh.
As the convenor of the United Front, Naidu was responsible for uniting non-Congress parties and made HD Deve Gowda and I K Gujral prime ministers. Thus, he proved it was possible for regional parties to form a government at the Centre, the TDP document says.
He alleged the Centre had not been releasing funds for Amaravati as it "did not want" a world-class capital city to come up in Andhra. "Then why should we pay taxes to the Centre at all?"
He also rubbished criticism that his government was spending all the money at its disposal on developing Amaravati, the proposed ultra-modern capital, at the cost of other developmental works.
Ratcheting up his attack on the Centre, he said, "In 2014, the unemployment rate was 3.4 percent and now it is 6.23 percent. Where is the 'sabka sath sabka vikas' that Modi promised to the people?"
He also denounced the Congress for "not doing justice to the people of Andhra and Telangana" at the time of the state's bifurcation.
State Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said the Modi government was taking "dangerous steps" against constitutional values and that it would be "dethroned by united regional parties" in 2019.
He also said former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and BJP veteran L K Advani respected the Constitution, but Modi and party chief Amit Shah were "destroying the democratic system".
"The ruling party uses RSS cadres, who have a fascist mentality. It is also spoiling fiscal and political values." The BJP government would be "dethroned" by an amalgamation of regional parties, he said, but parried a query on who would be the prime ministerial face if a united front comes into being.
Preaching against corruption after declaring BS Yeddyurappa, implicated in corruption cases, as the chief minister of Karnataka and supporting people such as "mining mafia" Janardhan Reddy and Y S Jaganmohan Reddy looks like a joke by the BJP government, he said.
Approaching the NGT on "flimsy" grounds, filing false cases against the Polavaram project and delays in the release of funds by the Centre are examples of collusion between the BJP and the YSRCP, Naidu's party alleged.
The "political manipulations" in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra are examples of the BJP's conspiracy to weaken efficient state leaders, the TDP alleged.
By using the Finance Commission, the Modi government started "causing losses" to the progressive states.
"The Finance Commission is a Constitutional body which independently distributed the resources to states and the Centre as per Schedule 7 of the Constitution.
"However, the recent guidelines of the 15th Finance Commission reveal that the terms of reference prescribed by the Centre hit the financial capabilities of the states,” the TDP resolution alleges.
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