Nellore: YSR Congress Party leaders undertook a massive protest in Nellore to observe 'Deception Day' against the betrayal of assurances on Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh by the ruling TDP in state and BJP in centre.

Party leaders and workers from all parts of the state flocked to Nellore to take part in the protest. Accusing the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of failing to get SCS as well as fulfill the promises made to the state in AP Bifurcation Act, YSRCP started its Deception Day protest (Vanchana Pi Garjana) from today morning at VR College grounds and will continue till evening 5 pm.

The five resigned Lok Sabha MPs of YSRCP, Rajya Sabha MPs, MLAs, MLCs, Coordinators of Parliamentary and assembly constituencies and Regional Coordinators of the party were among YSRCP cadre that was participating in the protest as well as fast. The protesting leaders sported black dress and black badges.

Speaking at the protest, Punganuru MLA Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy said YSRCP President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was the brand ambassador of SCS to AP because of his relentless fight to achieve it for the state. He said Congress bifurcated the state without any scientific reasoning. The BJP did not fulfill any of the promises made in the AP Bifurcation Act and also deceived the state by not granting SCS.

He observed that Chandrababu does not follow any ethics or principles and was more concerned about political one upmanship over the opposition. "Having cheated the state of SCS, Chandrababu has now changed his stance and was trying to cosy up to Congress. The ruling TDP government promised to give stipend to 10 lakh unemployed people in the state. He added that those 10 lakh people were none other than TDP workers," he remarked.

MLA Kotamreddi Sridhar Reddy reminded the participants of Deception Day protest that Chandrababu had not even fulfilled one promise made during the last elections. He questioned the CM if he had fulfilled the promises he made at least to his own village Naravaripalle. Sridhar Reddy challenged Chandrababu for a debate on four main promises that TDP had made. The SCS issue was alive only because of the efforts of YS Jagan, he added.