AP Special Status demand: Jagan Mohan Reddy begins indefinite fast

Guntur: YSR Congress President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday began his indefinite fast at Nallapadu village here in support of 'Special Status' demand for Andhra Pradesh.

Exhorting that he will fight till the demand is met, Jagan said the Centre should accord the status to the new state carved out of the erstwhile AP last year and also asked Chief Minister N Chadrababu Naidu to exert pressure on the Centre to fulfil the demand.

"Andhra Pradesh can get 90 per cent of funds allocated by the Centre as grant under Special Status which will benefit the state more than any other scheme," he told the gathering at the fasting camp.

He demanded that the chief minister withdraw his support for the NDA government at the Centre unless it announces Special Status to the state immediately.

Naidu should put pressure on the Central government for the overall benefit of the state, he said.

Jagan said the TDP government had promised during the General elections campaigns that it would fight for 10-year special status instead of five as accorded in the AP Re-organisation Act.

He charged that the TDP government did not claim for the status after coming to power.

Attacking the Naidu government, Reddy said, "Naidu failed to meet all his promises made during the poll campaigns through election manifesto. He reigned on his promises of crop loans waiver of, giving Rs 2,000 as unemployment allowance and

creation of jobs for the youth."

YSR Congress MPs, MLAs, MLCs and many other leaders of the party also joined the fast while thousands of Jagan's supporters also reached the venue from all over the state.