YSR Congress MPs continue protests in LS seeking special status for AP

New Delhi: Members of the YSR Congress on Friday continued their protest to demand special category status for Andhra Pradesh for the fifth day in Lok Sabha, despite assurance by the government that it was committed to resolve the issue.

As soon as Question Hour was taken up, four members of the party trooped into the Well holding placards demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh after Telangana was carved out of it.

As they were raising slogans, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar urged them to return to their seats.

"We are in touch with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. We are committed to the assurance given to Andhra Pradesh in resolving the issue please take the assurance," he said.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan also urged the agitating members to return to their seats. But the YSR Congress members were unrelenting and continued with their protest. Naidu is in Delhi and is slated to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

For the past five days, members of the YSR Congress have been entering the Well with placards and raising slogans demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh after Telangana was carved out of it.

In the first two days, members of TDP, an ally of the ruling NDA, too were participating in the protest by holding placards and raising slogans from the aisles. TDP members have refrained from protesting for the last three days.

TDP is unhappy at the Narendra Modi government for not providing the desired funds to the state after Telangana was carved out of it, with the fissures between BJP and TDP being seen as serious.