Jagan Reddy to Lead Protesters to Parliament to Seek Special Status for Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: Reiterating its demand for special category status for Andhra Pradesh, YSR Congress on Thursday organized protests outside collector’s offices in 13 districts across the state.

Thousands took to the streets with banners and placards promising uncompromising fight for the special category status. Many even sported black bands to condemn the “injustice” done to the state.

The Jagan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party has also decided to take its protests to New Delhi to mount pressure on the Centre. Party leaders will march to Parliament on March 5, the day the Parliament resumes the second part of Budget Session.

The party has appealed to natives of Andhra Pradesh who are residing in other cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai or Mumbai to join the protests. Natives in Delhi, students from IIT-Delhi, JNU and Delhi University who originally hail from Andhra Pradesh, would also take part in the protests in New Delhi.

“The Special Category Status is crucial for the state to ensure jobs for 12 lakh unemployed youth and industrialization, sustained growth of the state. The demand for SCS is to ensure the state gets greater central grants and industrial exemptions that are crucial to deal with the heavy setback the economy had faced after the bifurcation,” said Jagan Mohan Reddy.

“Due to tax rebates offered under the SCS, industries will prefer to establish their units in Andhra Pradesh compared to other states, creating job opportunities for lakhs of youths," Reddy added.

On March 2, around 200 YSRCP supporters from each district will leave for Delhi. They will take a special train from Vijayawada that is being arranged by the party. On March 3, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will flag-off the contingent of MPs, MLAs and others to lead the protests in Delhi.

The decision to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh was announced in the Parliament and endorsed by opposition parties in 2014.

YSR Congress has already announced that if special status is not given to the state by April 5, their MPs will resign on April 6. The party has even decided to move a No-confidence Motion against the BJP government during the session.