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The recent wave of protests in Andhra Pradesh's Mangalagiri, fueled by demands for the rights of Andhras, has taken a significant turn with the arrest of JD Lakshmi Narayana, founder of Jai Bharat National Party.
Narayana, from the Mangalagiri police station, disclosed details of their attempt to submit a letter to Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy regarding the special category status. Expressing concerns about promises made by the central government, including issues surrounding a private steel plant, Narayana highlighted the alleged house arrest of 950 students by the police. The Jai Bharat National Party founder also emphasized the importance of protesting in Delhi to demand for rights promised by the central government. The Special category status for Andhra Pradesh, seen as a catalyst for development in the state, became a focal point in Narayana's comments. Narayana accused the four major parties in the state of attempting to suppress this crucial issue. Despite the potential benefits, Narayana lamented the efforts of the current and past government leaders, as well as major parties, to mislead the public by citing the 14th Finance Commission's purported stance against granting special category status to any state in India. The unfolding situation continues to draw attention, with calls for accountability and justice echoing amid the ongoing protests. The demand to bring Andhra Pradesh under the Special Category gained momentum after the region split into two states. Telangana, which is India's youngest state, was carved out of Andhra in 2014. Andhra Pradesh's capital Hyderabad, also a rising IT hub with the majority of jobs, was also shifted to Telangana. At present, as many as 11 states- Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Mizoram--have been granted financial aid under this category as a majority of these regions have hilly-terrain and have a considerable tribal population. Andhra Pradesh is going to polls in a few months, along with the Lok Sabha elections this year. The state has 175 Assembly constituecies. The ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) swept the polls in the 2019 Assembly elections winning 151 seats. The Telegu Desam Party won 23 while the JanaSena Party won one seat. (ANI)
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