YSR Congress MPs to resign if special status not given to AP

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Monday said their members of Parliament (MPs) would resign from the Lok Sabha on April 6 if Andhra Pradesh is not accorded special status by April 5.

"If special category status is not given to Andhra Pradesh by April 5, YSRCP MPs will resign on April 6," the party said in a statement.

The YSR Congress, along with 2,000 Andhrites studying and working in Delhi and other cities, also held a dharna at Parliament Street here to demand the special status for their state.

"The decision to grant special status was announced in Parliament and endorsed by opposition parties, including the BJP in 2014. It was announced in lieu of foregoing Hyderabad, which houses employment generating industries, and such a precious clause should not be foregone for some insignificant package," the party said.

YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP V. Vijayasai Reddy charged N. Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP), saying: "Under what moral right did Chandrababu Naidu sell Andhra Pradesh's interest by trading special status for the so-called 'special package' - details of which are unknown?"

He went on to add: "To secure our rightful demand of special status, every MP from the state must put Andhra Pradesh first and resign from Parliament if the status is not granted."

The police arrested YSRCP leaders, including MPs and MLAs, while marching towards the Ministry of Home Affairs for submitting the memorandum to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh demanding special status for the state. The leaders were taken to Parliament Street Police Station.

"The demand for special status is to ensure the state gets greater central grants and industrial exemptions crucial for dealing with the heavy setback the economy has faced post bifurcation," said the party.

At present, industries in the special states get the benefit of 10-year tax holiday given in the form of area-based excise breaks under the Goods and Services Tax (GST). This will bring IT industries, manufacturing units and start-ups to the state, leading to job opportunities for lakhs of youths.

--IANS

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