Congress committed to special status for Andhra Pradesh: Oommen Chandy

Former Kerala chief minister and Congress leader Oommen Chandy on Wednesday said that his party was committed to special status for Andhra Pradesh.

"Congress is committed to demand special category status for the state. When the UPA was in power, the state of Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated. Congress had assured the people of the state of special category status. However, since coming to power, the BJP-led government has denied special category status," Chandy told .

He said the party has taken a strong stand for getting special category status to the state.

Chandy also accused the Centre of passing agriculture-related bills "without consulting the opposition".

"We strongly protest against the attitude of BJP-led centre on the three farm bills that were passed in the Parliament without any (prior) discussion with either farmers or the opposition. These bills are directly affecting the farmers of the country," Chandy alleged.

"Agriculture is a state subject. The Centre must consult states before taking any decision. They might not agree with the state government, but at least, they must listen to their opinion," he said.

He said BJP-led government says it is working in the interest of farmers and if it is really concerned about their problems, proper consultations should have been held.

( With inputs from ANI )