Leaders of the Congress and various national parties came down on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for calling upon the people to boycott the public meeting held here in support of Special Category Status (SCS) and said they would not be cowed by such cowardly tactics.
‘Threats’ decried
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president N. Raghuveera Reddy alleged that the TDP government had tried to scuttle the meeting by threatening the people with dire consequences. Police at several places foiled attempts by TDP leaders to block the roads. At the national highway, they prevented local TDP leaders from blocking buses and autos.
“Local janmabhoomi committee members have warned the people in villages that their pensions would be stopped if they attend this meeting. We are living in a democracy and if the governments try to act against the free will of the people, they will surely bite the dust,’’ Mr. Reddy said.
Mr. Reddy, who launched a spirited campaign for SCS by collecting one crore signatures across the State, said the success of the meeting showed the anti-incumbency wave had started blowing against the governments at the Centre and the State.
Former Speaker Nadendla Manohar said presence of leaders from major national parties showed their concern towards the well being of the people of the State.
‘Meet significant’
“This meeting held here is a significant one as it has given a platform for all secular and national parties to launch a campaign against the communal and fascist governments at the Centre and in the State,” Mr. Manohar said.
Communist Party of India former secretary general Suravaram Sudhakara Reddy said it was shameful that the TDP government had given a call to boycott the meeting held to demand the Centre to give Special Category Status at a time when it needed the grants from it.
Congress leader Kanumuri Bapiraju said the campaign launched by the PCC president for the SCS had won the support of the public.