TDP adopted contradictory stand on Sub-Plan Bill: Sailajanath

Primary Education Minister S Sailajanath has accused the Telugu Desam Party of adopting contradictory stand over the SC, ST Sub-Plan Bill.

Talking to reporters at the Congress Legislature Party office here on Wednesday, Sailajanath disputed the repeated claims of TDP leaders that they were not against the Sub-Plan Bill. He said despite making such claims, the TDP leaders tried very hard to stop the Bill both in the Legislative Assembly and Council. He said while the TDP along with other opposition parties sought certain amendments in the Bill in the Legislative Assembly, same objections were raised in the Council.

Sailajanath said that although Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy specifically clarified that spending could not be done as per SC Categorisation due to an order of the Supreme Court, the opposition parties forced division on the issue. He said that the TDP was unable to digest the fact that the Congress Government created history by becoming the first State in the country to introduce SC, ST Sub-Plan Bill.

The minister said that while the Congress was taking practical steps for the development of SCs and STs, the TDP leaders were just making tall claims and expressing oral sympathy with the Dalits and Girijans.