A registered medical practitioner (RMP) was roughed up by BJP workers in Andhra Pradesh on Monday after he held a 'counter protest' during an event attended by state party president Kanna Lakshminarayana.
The RMP, identified as Ongole resident M Srinivasa Rao, decided to take out a protest with some friends and placards which read 'Andhra Pradesh wants special status'.
As BJP workers saw the placard, they were infuriated and allegedly attempted to assault him. However, as police personnel were present at the event, they dispersed the crowd and rescued the man.
According to media reports, Kanna Lakshminarayana called it an “unfortunate incident” and said that his party men assumed that the protestors were there to attack his convoy.
“This is not the way to raise the demand. I am ready to take petitions if they are presented in a proper manner,” the state BJP chief was quoted as saying.
Last week, the central government reiterated that it could not grant Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh in a counter affidavit filed in the Supreme Court.
The central government also listed out all the assistance that it had given to the state and claimed that all commitments under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, had been addressed.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Telangana Congress MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, which had marked the Union Finance Ministry as a respondent and asked for a response on several bifurcation issues.
A state cabinet meeting is also expected to be held on Friday, which will discuss the issue.
TDP had pulled out from BJP led NDA alliance in March this year alleging that the Centre had not fulfilled promises made during bifurcation.
‘Special category status’ is a classification given by the Centre to assist in development of those states that face geographical and socio-economic disadvantages like hilly terrains, strategic international borders, tribal population, economic and infrastructural backwardness and non-viable state finances.
During discussion on the AP Reorganization Bill, 2014, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured five years of SCS for the residual state of Andhra Pradesh, but the present BJP government has said that the provision was dropped by the 14th Finance Commission.