AP special status issue: YSRC lays siege to collectorates

The opposition YSR Congress, which has asked the Centre to accord special category status to Andhra Pradesh, today protested on the issue by laying siege to the district collectorates.

The protest, called 'collectorates muttadi' locally, saw the party carry out such sieges at collectorates in 13 districts.

Party leaders said that YSRC chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy broke off his ongoing march programme to monitor the protests from Prakasam district.

Other opposition parties like the Congress, CPI, CPM and various peoples organisations too conducted a public meeting in Guntur on the issue and demanded that the Centre come out with a clear stand on SCS.
 

While the YSRC reiterated that its MPs would resign from Parliament on April 6 if the Centre did accord SCS to AP, other parties announced an agitation, to be carried out in New Delhi from March 5, to step up pressure on the Narendra Modi government.

"The YSRC will continue its relentless fight till AP gets SCS as it is crucial for industrialisation and sustained progress of the state. SCS is not just a demand but the states right. Our MPs will resign on April 6 if the Centre does not grant it by April 5," Reddy announced on the occasion.

The YSRC has chartered a train from Vijayawada tomorrow to send its activists to New Delhi to participate in a protest outside Parliament on March 5 when the Budget session resumes, said leaders.

At the Guntur public meeting, Pradesh Congress Committee president N Raghuveera Reddy said his party would press for a debate in the Lok Sabha under rule 184 on the SCS issue.

"We will press for voting on the subject and are seeking the support of other parties. The TDP and the YSRC MPs should immediately quit their posts to prove their sincerity on SCS," he said.

He added that the "Telugu Atmagourava Deeksha" would be held on March 6 and 7 in New Delhi followed by a siege of Parliament on March 8.

Former MP Konathala Ramakrishna of the Uttarandhra Vedika said the struggle was to protect the self-respect of the Telugus.

CPI and CPM state secretaries K Ramakrishna, P Madhu, AP Intellectuals Forum president Chalasani Srinivas, film actor Sivaji and others attended.

Meanwhile, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu will chair a meeting of party MPs here tomorrow to devise a fresh strategy to be adopted in Parliament from March 5.