Bandh was observed in the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh today in response to a call given by the Opposition party, YSR Congress, and the two left parties in protest against the NDA Government's refusal to grant special category status to the State, a promise given by both the Congress and the BJP at the time of the bifurcation of the State.

The Congress party workers and leaders also participated in the bandh, and the response to the bandh call was partial. Educational institutions were closed and the movement of AP State Road Transport Corporation buses was also affected. The agitating workers of the different political parties and others were taken into custody at different town like Vijayawada, Guntur, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Rajahmundry.

For the past four to five days, ever since the issue came up for debate in the Rajya Sabha last Friday over a private member's bill and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley made it clear that it would not be possible to grant special status to AP, passions have been running high in the State and the opposition parties, YSR Congress, Congress and the Left parties, are targeting both the BJP and the Telugu Desam, political allies.

Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy, the leader of YSR Congress Party, has termed it as "betrayal of the interests of the State by the BJP and the Telugu Desam", blaming it primarily on the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu. The Congress and the Left parties, on the other hand, are training their guns on both the BJP and the TDP.

Under great pressure from all quarters, the ruling Telugu Desam Party lent its support in the Rajya Sabha to the demand for special status and the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, also expressed his disappointment and anguish over the statement of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The issue has driven a wide wedge between the two allies - the BJP and the Telugu Desam Party.

sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in

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