YSRCP, CPI stage protests

Tirupati: After a lull of over six months, the demand for Special Category Status (SCS) has resurfaced here on Tuesday with political parties and students taking to the streets.

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy staged a Jala Deeksha in Rayalcheruvu tank, 20 km from here while CPI district unit took out a rally and the students in Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) held a meeting in one voice demanding the Central government to accord SCS to the State.

Bhaskar Reddy after offering pooja in the temple near the tank, went in a rally before venturing into the waters knee deep and observed Jala Deeksha as a mark of protest against the Centre for ignoring SCS to the State.

Students from various colleges in Ramachandrapuram mandal where the tank is located joined in the rally and stood on the tank bund to express their support to MLA’s deeksha.

Speaking on the occasion, the YSRCP MLA criticised Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu ticking off the issue as a closed chapter.

He said Jallikattu movement in Tamil Nadu has been inspiring the people especially youth here for achieving SCS to Andhra Pradesh.

The day is not far away for the people joining together irrespective of political affiliations to get SCS. The CPI activists led by its district secretary Rama Naidu took out a rally in the city in support of special status.

Holding banners and rising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chandrababu Naidu, the protestors sought those opposing the special status to leave the State.

Addressing the gathering, Rama Naidu said all sections of people in Tamil Nadu including politicians, intellectuals, film personalities, farmers and others lend their support to the students, who took to the streets for reviving the traditional Jallikattu.

The mass movement in Tamil Nadu saw the Centre and State kneeling down and issuing ordinance for the conduct of Jallikattu, he said seeking all sections in the State to join for building a strong public opinion to force Centre agree for SCS.

He further said that it was shameful on the part of Chandrababu and Union Minister Venakaiah Naidu declaring that there is no need for SCS, while commenting that Jallikattu movement has no comparison with the State issue.

In SVU, the student outfits, AISF, SFI, YSRCP student union and DYFI gathered together in demanding special status to AP.

The leaders S Jayachandra (DYFI), J Viswanath (AISF) and Hariprasad Reddy declared that their associations would work together in rekindling the fighting spirit among the youth.

The meet resolved to mobilise the students in all universities and educational institutions for reviving movement for SCS.