Inspired by Marina protest? Andhra youth plan to gather at Vizag's RK beach for special status

There were calls for many to come and join the cause on January 26.

One of the images being circulated on social media

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Even as the police act against the protesters at Marina beach, trying to evict them on day 6 of their agitation, a similar protest seems to be brewing in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh.

Armed with the hashtag #APDemandsSpecialStatus, several youngsters took to Twitter and Facebook, planning to voice out their frustration at being denied a 'special category status' last year.

Planning a 'silent protest' at Visakhapatnam's RK Beach, there were calls for many to come and join the cause on January 26.

Even actor-politician Pawan Kalyan extended his support to the cause, along with his Jana Sena Party.

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, he wrote, "#APDemadsSpecialStatus, If youth of AP are planning to do a silent protest on 26th Jan at RK Beach, Vizag, #Janasena Supports them," (sic).

Even Telangana IT minister KT Rama Rao was sent an invite to attend the protest being planned on social media.

Last year, massive protests broke out all over the state in September, after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced a 'special economic package' for Andhra Pradesh, instead of the special status that the state had demanded.

Jaitley had said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement made in Rajya Sabha on February 20, 2014 for according special status to Andhra Pradesh could not be implemented as the 14th Finance Commission has recommended that the special category status can be given only to hill states and northeastern states.

This led to a lot of resentment in the state, since the special status was a long standing demand of all parties in Andhra. In fact, it was also a main poll promise of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

While the Finance Minister had claimed that the state will get a monetary advantage, equivalent to what it would have got if it was accorded the special category status, this hasn’t helped too much.

The central government's financial package also includes a special assistance, a series of tax concessions and full funding of the Polavaram irrigation project.

#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

#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

#APDemadsSpecialStatus,I had planned a Musical protest album#DeshBachao to be released on 5th Feb but will prepone its release to 24th Jan. — Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) January 22, 2017

#APDemandsSpecialStatus ,Does the North Indian political elites know! 'How many languages are there in south'? For them we are all Madrasis! — Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) January 23, 2017