YSR Congress MPs continue protests in Lok Sabha over special status to Andhra Pradesh

FM Arun Jaitley had assured the House that the issue was under consideration of the government

Members of YSR Congress continued their protest seeking special category status for Andhra Pradesh in Lok Sabha for the third day on Wednesday, but members of the TDP, an NDA partner, kept away from it.

As soon as the House took up Question Hour, YSR Congress members trooped into the Well raising slogans like 'we want justice' and 'special status for Andhra'.

"You continue with the protest despite the statement by the Finance Minister...Why do you do that," Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday had assured the House that the issue was under consideration of the government.

But the YSR Congress MPs continued with their protest which went on till noon when Zero Hour was taken up.

For the past two days, YSR Congress and TDP members have been raising slogans and displaying placards demanding special category status for their state after Telangana was carved out of it. While YSR Congress members had been protesting inside the Well, TDP members used to demonstrate by standing on the aisles.

TDP is unhappy at the Narendra Modi government for not providing the desired funds to Andhra Pradesh after Telangana was carved out of it.

The fissures between BJP and TDP are being seen as so serious that there is speculation that the party led by N Chandrababu Naidu could even walk out of the NDA.