Andhra Spring on RK Beach

A post on the facebook by Andhra Youth proclaims that a young brigade emerged on the scene with a battle cry for the SCS. It received 3 lakh likes in support of the demand, sending the TDP-NDA regimes into a tizzy

Visakhapatnam: As ‘Andhra Spring’ on the RK Beach in the city is in the offing on the lines of ‘Arab Spring’, the movement for Special Category Status is poised to take a new form.

A group of netizens who decided to take a leaf out of the book of pro-Jallikattu protesters on the Marina beach in Chennai have taken to the social media platforms, proposing to stage a massive demonstration on the RK beach on January 26, coinciding with the Republic Day.

A post on the facebook by Andhra Youth proclaims that a young brigade emerged on the scene with a battle cry for the SCS. It received 3 lakh likes in support of the demand, sending the TDP-NDA regimes in jitters.

Interestingly, Jana Sena president and actor Pawan Kalyan too extended support to the movement. Protests are also reportedly planned on the banks of the Krishna river in Vijayawada and Tirupati on the same day.

The social media platforms have been getting flooded with messages urging a protest Hashtags with #APDemads-SpecialStatus, #APELFRESPECTMOVEMENT asking youth to assemble at RK Beach. The police are monitoring the social websites to ascertain the number of participants for the protest, according to sources.

The protest got pepped up after actor and Jana Sena Chief Pawan Kalyan tweeted ‘If youth of AP are planning to do a silent protest on 26th Jan RK Beach, Vizag # Janasena supports them’.

The police are on tenterhooks over the form how the beach movement is likely to take even as the campaigners ensure a peaceful protest, citing the case of Marina beach. The government reportedly issued directives to the police to handle the protest with all the care and tact.

It is estimated that 4,500 people in Vizag region has so for shown interest and another 3,000 have confirmed participation and the number is expected to swell manifold.

Sources said that students of various colleges, fans of cine actors like Pawan Kalyan, Mahesh Babu and few other actors besides various associations have been spreading the message in WhatsApp groups to seek support from different sections.

The websites launched by the campaigners are urging the participants to come sporting a black badge for the protest demonstration. The local youth did not rule out the participation of the JSP chief Pawan.

The actor tweeted, “We born when we were abused and tolerated when we were expelled, but we will revolt if you are not fulfilling your promises”. In another tweet he extended his support to the beach protest.

The police, meanwhile, are firm not to allow any protest on the beach without prior permission, according to T Yoganand.

Sources in the Police department said that they have been closely monitoring the Facebook page and any provocative overtures will be dealt with sternly. Sources said the beach protest ahead of the partnership summit worries the government’s top brass.

The organizers of the protest said they had met ACP (East) Annepu Narasimha Murthy and sought permission for the demonstration with a request orally.

However, the ACP demanded a written request so as to forward it to his superior officials. Permission or no permission, the organizers are determined to go ahead with the campaign, it is said.

“It is for a noble cause and the protest will be silent. I don’t see any reason for the police to deny permission,’’ said a member of the organizing committee.