AT the call of the CPI(M) and CPI, people of Andhra Pradesh took up protest actions on July 23 against the Modi government for not according Special Category Status and failure in fulfilling the promises made to the state during bifurcation. Protest rallies, rasta rokos, dharnas and other protests were conducted throughout  the state. State leaders of the two parties attended in various centres and exposed the BJP leadership in betraying the people of AP. They exposed in detail how the centre went back on its promises right from the 2014 elections to the latest debate in Lok Sabha in connection with the No Confidence Motion on July 20. They said that the Telugu Desam Party that forged alliance and shared power for four years is also responsible for the harm that was done to the state. None other than the chief minister welcomed the mischievous ‘special assistance’ coined by the Modi government and belittled the Special Category Status, they criticised. Though the BJP could win in the No Confidence Motion in parliament with numbers, it utterly failed on ground in winning the peoples’ confidence, the communist leaders commented. They urged the people to continue the struggle so that the AP Reorganization Act is implemented and the promises made on the floor of the parliament in connection with bifurcation are achieved. Leaders of Jana Sena party, AAP and some other groups also participated in some centres and expressed their solidarity.

YOUTH DEMANDING IMMEDIATE

UN- EMPLOYMENT ALLOWANCE

DYFI, AIYF and some other organisations of unemployed youth organised ‘Chalo Vijayawada’ on July 18. Police brutally restrained the youth at their respective places by arresting them and through other repressive measures. In this malicious exercise, they arrested Madhav, a DYFI leader of Nellore, who was at the service of his ailing mother Chinnamma. On knowing of the arrest and her son being beaten by the police, Chinnamma breathed her last on the same day. Though the police restrained brutally, hundreds of young people thronged to the ‘Dharna Chowk’ in Vijayawada, the designated place for the protest. Boddu Nageswara rao, MLC of Graduates’ Constituency, M Surya Rao, DYFI state secretary, Lenin Babu, AIYF state secretary and others were arrested by the police and were shifted to various police stations on the outskirts of the city. In this connection, the leaders demanded immediate release of allowance to the unemployed youth and that all the youth who have passed SSC should be paid that (government has restricted allowance for graduates and diploma holders). Leaders demanded that the notification to fill up the vacancies be issued within a fortnight. Protest actions were taken up at various places demanding punishment against the police officers responsible for the death of Chinnamma.