Demanding that Prime Minister and the Union ministers rectify the injustice meted out to Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu hit out at alliance partner BJP on Saturday and said he was ready “for any sacrifice” to ensure justice for the Telugus.

Significantly, Naidu broke his long silence over the issue and for the first time publicly aired his grievance against the Centre and ally BJP ever since AP failed to get a mention in the Union Budget presented on 1 February. Following this the two parties have been bickering publicly almost daily about the funds made available to the state government by the Centre. While TDP has been maintaining that the state has not been given its due, state and central BJP leaders have been rolling out statistics to show AP has benefited the most under the NDA government. TDP has set 5 March as the deadline for fulfilling its demands.

Naidu spoke at a public rally in Guntur after laying the foundation stone for an engineering college. He justified the alliance with BJP, saying that it was to ensure justice for Andhra Pradesh. He also mentioned that he had visited New Delhi 29 times to petition for the fulfillment of the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act but even then justice was denied to the state. “I am ready to debate on how much other states got and how much AP got from the Centre. I am demanding that Prime Minister and Central ministers at least now correct the injustice done and do justice to AP,”said Naidu in his address.

Urging the Centre to handhold the state till it was at par with other southern states in terms of per capita income, Naidu went on to add, ” All promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act should be fulfilled. All promises made in the Rajya Sabha must be fulfilled. I am ready for any sacrifice to ensure justice for Telugus.”

Significantly, Naidu did not mention the special financial package that was announced in lieu of special category status that was promised on the floor of the Rajya Sabha. The chief minister is facing immense heat from detractors for accepting the special package that was announced by the Centre.

Although he has been reluctant to withdraw his ministers or quit the NDA, Opposition parties have been challenging him to ask his MPs to tender their resignation in protest against the Centre. He did not elaborate whether the “sacrifice”would be the political tie-up between the two allies or the collective resignation of MPs as demanded by the Opposition.