Modi waved empty hand to AP once again: Left parties

Vijayawada (NTR District): The leaders of Left parties staged a protest here on Monday demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce special category status and other sops for Andhra Pradesh as per the assurances mentioned in the AP Bifurcation Act.

Police took CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna, CPM State executive member Ch Babu Rao, Hoda Sadhana Samiti leader Chalasani Srinivas and other leaders into custody and shifted them to Bhavanipuram police station.

Addressing the gathering at the police station, the Left leaders said that the Prime Minister is utilising the birth anniversary celebrations of freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju to garner votes for the BJP. "It is highly objectionable that he was using the caste and religion cards in his speech," they criticised.

The Prime Minister had totally forgotten all the assurances he had given to the people of the State when he was listing out the achievements of his government.

The Girijans would teach the BJP a fitting lesson for handing over forest lands and natural resources to corporate houses, the Left leaders noted. They said that the Andhra people, who hoped that the PM would announce the implementation of Bifurcation Act, were deeply disappointed.

They called upon the people to raise and launch an agitation against the Central government.

The leaders said that they were equally disappointed by the silence of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy while sharing dais with the Prime Minister. 'The Chief Minister and the Ministers are more interested in presenting shawls to Prime Minister Modi and taking selfies with him than seeking funds for the State', they criticised.

They called upon the people to stage a massive protest on Tuesday against the treachery of the Centre and the Prime Minister. They called upon the leaders of TDP, YSRCP and Jana Sena to join hands with the people or raise their voice independently.

CPM leaders DV Krishna, Boyi Satya Babu, B Ramana, K Durga Rao and Pravin and CPI leaders Ravindranath and Ch Koteswara Rao and New Democracy leader Ravichandra and others were among those arrested.