By Express News Service

RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM : Ruling Telugu Desam Party Parliament Member (MP) M Muralimohan alleged that the Centre was biased against Andhra Pradesh. Express spoke to him on phone on Saturday, seeking his reaction to his recent statement that Andhra Pradesh and other southern states might have to secede from federal government and form a separate country if the ‘indifferent’ attitude of the Centre continued. He spoke in detail about the bifurcation and injustice done to AP in the budget.

“We are contributing more to the Central pool in the form of taxes than any other state barring Maharashtra. Then why the Union Government is treating us in a step-motherly manner. We are being treated in an inhuman way in all the aspects. If we speak in Telugu they ill treat and denigrate us. Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated from Telangana in an unethical manner and it is the responsibility of the Centre to undo the injustice to AP.

In the last budget also they did little to help us. We have announced metro status for Vijayawada and Vizag, but where is the budget for upgrading them? After bifurcation ‘credit’ went to Telangana and ‘debts’ came to us. There are no industries in our state. Power, water and many other resources are to be shared. We have to develop everything from scratches.

How can the Centre simply keep quite. N T Rama Rao, when he was chief minister, was fed up with the interference of the Centre in the affairs of the State and made a case for AP separating from rest of the country. Now, if the mindset of the Union Government does not change, all southern states might have to come together to form a separate entity.”