No need for ‘Jallikattu-style’ agitation to demand special status for Andhra: CM

india

Updated: Jan 23, 2017 22:09 IST

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu on Monday slammed film star and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan over the latter’s call for a “Jallikattu-style” agitation for securing special category status for the state.

Without taking Kalyan’s name at a press conference in Amravati, Naidu questioned: “Why should we take up a Jallikattu-style agitation? What is the link between Jallikattu and SCS (securing special category)? Jallikattu is just a rural game.”

“I am tactfully and strategically going ahead. Have I compromised on anything? We have got special economic package akin to SCS, then why this fight now,” Chandrababu said.

“I will myself strongly fight if any injustice is done to the state,” the chief minister added.

“Will Andhras ever learn? If the political class of AP had shown this kind of solidarity, AP would have got its promised special category status long back,” Kalyan had said in a series of tweets two days before.

“But politicians, who are high on business interests and low on political commitment, have denied AP its promised special category status. But I strongly believe that it’s only politicians who have compromised and not the general public. Jana Sena is with them (people),” Kalyan said, adding that the Jallikattu agitation should be an inspiration.

#APDemadsSpecialStatus ,If youth of AP are planning to do a silent protest on 26th Jan at RK Beach , Vizag, #Janasena Supports them. — Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) January 22, 2017

#APDemandsSpecialStatus ,"Youth of AP"should raise their voice through peaceful protests is the only remedy ,to achieve the promised "SCS" — Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) January 23, 2017

Other opposition parties, too, echoed similar views.

Congress member of Rajya Sabha KVP Ramachandra Rao wrote a letter to the CM, asking the latter to lead a movement for SCS.

“If a movement is launched under your leadership, all political parties, media, industry, film industry and other sectors and intellectuals besides students and youth will follow you,” he said.

Following Kalyan’s tweets, some youngsters announced that they would take up a protest programme on the Visakhapatnam beach on Republic Day and the actor promptly extended his support.

Referring to this, Naidu appealed to them to stay away from such programmes and asked them to behave responsibly.

“Some people are trying to use you,” he warned the youngsters.