Andhra protestor climbs down from cell tower after 34 hours!

After spending 34 hours perched on a mobile phone tower to protest the central government's decision not to accord special category status to Andhra Pradesh, a youth finally climbed down on Sunday.

Sanjiv Rao got down from the tower in Guntur town when the officials promised to arrange a meeting with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu.

Tension prevailed at Autonagar in the town throughout the day as Sanjiv Rao refused to come down and rejected appeals by the local officials to give up his protest.

Two personnel of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were kept on standby to climb the tower to bring down Rao.

Earlier, state Agriculture Minister P. Pulla Rao visited the place and spoke to the protestor over phone, urging him to give up his protest.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed at a hotel at Rajahmundry when a group of Bharatiya Janata Party workers staged a protest against actor-turned-politician Shivaji for taking up a campaign over the issue of special status to the state.

Police had to intervene and escort the actor to safety.

The BJP leaders criticized Shivaji for blaming the BJP-led NDA central government for not granting special status to the state. Shivaji, who had campaigned for the BJP in the last elections, has been targeting the government for going back on its promise.

Shivaji alleged that BJP leaders and workers were acting like criminals to stop him. He said he would continue his protest over the issue.