Social media agog with jallikattu-type stir for SCS

The Government and the police are gearing up to meet a possible tense situation that could arise out of a mysterious post on Facebook and WhatsApp asking youth to join in a “Jallikattu-like struggle” at the RK Beach in Visakhapatnam and other public places in Vijayawada and Tirupati on January 26 to press the Centre to grant Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh.

The call assumed significance as Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reacted to it questioning the need for such protest while both Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan and YSRCP president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and other organisations had extended their support to it.

At a press conference, Mr. Naidu wondered what the relation between the Jallikattu protest and the SCS was indirectly referring to Mr. Pawan Kalyan. The government accepted the special package as it was on par with the SCS and it did not compromise on any front, he asserted.

He criticised the candlelight protest on SCS announced by the YSRC Congress. “What do you get if you roam on streets with candles in hand? The youth should remember that some people with vested interests are raking up the SCS issue again and again to meet their political ends. Those speaking on SCS have no experience in administration. They have no experience of working even as Panchayat secretary,” he said.

He appealed to the youth not to fall prey to the evil designs of a few persons, whose sole aim was to divide society on caste, communal and regional lines. “Visakhapatnam is a peaceful city. Don’t tarnish its image,” he said. Incidentally, Visakhapatnam is hosting a big CII Partnership Summit on January 27.

Mr. Naidu also lambasted Congress Rajya Sabha member KVP Ramachandra Rao, who wrote an open letter to him over the SCS issue. “It was irony that the people who did not utter a word when Andhra Pradesh was being bifurcated are now writing letters. And these people wanted me to react,” he said. The Facebook post and WhatsApp message in the name of Jai Andhra Pradesh got traction with youth instantly.

Mr. Pawan Kalyan tweeted that he supported the protest idea in Visakhapatnam. Thousands of youth showed interest and confirmed their participation. He accused the political class of Andhra Pradesh of lacking the ‘muscle’ and ‘courage’ and wanted the youth to make it clear to the Central government that they would revolt if it failed to keep its promise. “Youth should raise their voice through peaceful protests, which is the only remedy to achieve the promised SCS,” he added.

The YSRC chief too tweeted that any programme or event demanding SCS was welcome and requested all supporters, especially youth, to come forward to make those events a big success.