Notwithstanding the criticism from various quarters that he is misusing public money lavishly for programmes like Dharma Porata Deeksha to gain political mileage, Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister continues to indulge in publicity gimmicks at the cost of public exchequer.
Naidu has announced that he would take up 24-hour long "Dharma Porata Deeksha" at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on February 11 to protest against the central government for alleged non-cooperation in fulfilling Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and other promises like special status.
His programme is scheduled within hours of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Guntur on Sunday.
The Naidu government has hired two trains to take his party leaders and people (read: TDP workers) to Delhi to take part in the deeksha.
According to an official statement, each train with 20 compartments from South Central Railways, Secunderabad will start from two different places Anantapur and Srikakulam to reach New Delhi by February 10.
And Naidu government has released Rs 1.12 crore towards the expenses to be incurred on hiring the trains and also make arrangements for the people participating in the protests in Delhi.
May be, the expenditure also involves food and other arrangements for those travelling in the trains!
Interestingly, the GO says activists of interested political parties, organizations, NGOs associations and others can make use of the transport and other arrangements to participate in one day deeksha at New Delhi.