Protests for SCS pass off peacefully

- Hundreds of activists belonging to Left parties, Congress and Jana Sena detained and released
- Opposition parties slam CM for suppressing the protests in the city
- CPM leader Ch Babu Rao allege that the government is implementing undeclared emergency in the State
- CM should go back to Telangana: Jana Sena activist P Venkata Mahesh
- CM functioning against the spirit of Constitution: CPI leader Donepudi Shankar
- Students display placards on SCS near Prakasam Barrage

Vijayawada: Hundred activists belonging to Left parties, CPI, CPM, Congress and Jana Sena were arrested and shifted to various police stations in and around the city on Thursday when they were staging protests against the failure of the Central and State governments in granting Special Category Status to the State. Earlier, the Opposition parties have decided to protest at various places in the city for Special Category Status.

Though the police clamped 144 Section from early hours of Thursday in various parts of the city, the activists of the CPI, CPM, Congress and Jana Sena continued to gather and raised their voice against the Telugu Desam and BJP governments alleging that the two parties have cheated the people on granting Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh as promised in Parliament during the bifurcation of the State.

Left party leaders Ch Babu Rao of CPM, Donepudi Sankar of CPI and other leaders were forcibly arrested at Lenin Centre when they were staging a protest. Jana Sena activists were arrested at Dharna Chowk and nearly 200 Congress leaders and activists, including City Congress president Malladi Vishnu, Naraharisetty Narasimha Rao, Akula Srinivas and others were detained near the Head Post office on Thursday morning. These Congress leaders were shifted to Ibrahimpatnam, Bhavanipuram, One Town police stations. The State Congress party had called for protests on Thursday at the Gandhi Statues protesting against the failure of the Central government in granting Special Category Status to the State.

CPM leader Babu Rao alleged that the Chief Minister administration was indicating undeclared emergency situation in the State and demanded the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chandrababu Naidu implement 2014 election promises, including Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh for developing the State on par South Indian States.

CPM leader Babu Rao said that Chief Minister failed to exert pressure on the Union government for getting SCS to the State so far.

Jana Sena Party city leader Pothina Venkata Mahesh demanded that the Union government grant SCS to the State as the BJP leaders had promised to the people of State in Parliament while they were in Opposition and also in 2014 elections. He predicted that the Chandrababu Naidu would not win 2019 general elections.

CPI Vijayawada city secretary Donepudi Shankar said that Chief Minister was functioning against the spirit of Constitution and condemned the police high handedness on protesters in the city. Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) State president Madhav demanded the Union government grant SCS to the State and also said that SCS would help to reduce the unemployment among youth in the State.

Vijayawada city students staged a peace protest on the Prakasam Barrage for SCS and also displayed placards stating that ‘SCs is our right’. The police arrested the students, who protested on the Prakasam Barrage, and shifted them to Krishna Lanka police station.

Congress party Vijayawada city president Malladi Vishnu participated in a peace protest at Gandhi statue in Kaleswara Rao market. Later, the city police took him into their custody and shifted the Congress party leaders to Ibrahimpatnam police station.

By and large the protests passed off peacefully as hundreds of police detained them and immediately shifted to various police stations in and around the city.