Demand for special status for Andhra: TDP holds statewide protest today

Amaravati: To strengthen their demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh and to support its MPs agitation in the Parliament, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is holding a statewide peaceful protest on Thursday.

In a teleconference with MPs, MLAs, MLCs, in-charges and other party leaders, TDP Andhra Pradesh unit president K Kala Venkatrao told them to sit on demonstration and protest meetings in major junctions of all constituencies.

Venkatrao said the agitation must be peaceful and should not cause any trouble to the layman.

Venkatrao said the YSRCP may cause destruction and violence during the protest, so the TDP should not join protests along with them but hold public agitation separately.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said he is ready to make any sacrifice for the development of the state.

On the other hand, mass organisations affiliated to left parties on Thursday called for highway blockade, which all parties except the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supported.

Chandrababu Naidu also announced support to the blockade and cited state interests as the reason.

Meanwhile, Naidu in a teleconference with MPs said the BJP had been suspecting the TDP for quite some time now and not believing the TDP chief's statement about his interest in national politics.

"They do not believe even after I clarified that I don't have any interest in national politics. For the same, though there was no need, the Centre ruling party took the support of YSRCP during the presidential election."

After the Andhra ruling party's pullout from the NDA, Wednesday's assembly session saw a confrontation between the TDP and BJP on various issues.