Protests over Centre's denial of SCS mar Coastal Andhra

Union Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha's written reply to an AP MP's question ruling out Special Category Status on Wednesday attracted protests at Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada in Coastal Andhra within 24 hours. The demonstrators at Ambedkar junction in Vizag warned the Centre of serious consequences if the Union Minister did not take back his reply ruling out the SCS for AP. The Congress, which had been generally silent following its defeat in the Assembly and parliamentary elections in the State, took the lead to demonstrate at the Gandhi statue in Vijayawada. Malladi Vishnu, former MLA, reminded the people that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised the SCS in the name of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala. Jayant Sinha's written reply controverting the Prime Minister's statement was, therefore, shameful. Modi, Power Star Pawan Kalyan and Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu had made many promises for the welfare of the State. Now that the Centre left the cat of denial out of the bag, what were these leaders doing, he asked. Malladi Vishnu particularly questioned Pawan Kalyan for his reaction at the turn of the events. In Vijayawada, the people came out into the streets and raised slogans against the BJP and Venkaiah Naidu. They stated that the Centre had cheated the State on the promise of SCS.