<div>Normal life was hit on Saturday by the day-long shutdown called by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) to protest the delay in according special status to Andhra Pradesh.<br /><br />Buses of state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) went off the roads while shops, business establishments and educational institutions were closed in most parts of the 13 districts.<br /><br />The left parties, students' groups, traders, employees' unions and people's organisations announced their support to the shutdown call.<br /><br />YSRCP workers took to streets in many towns since early morning. Raising slogans of 'we want special status' and 'CM down down', they staged sit-ins at APSRTC depots to prevent buses from coming out. <br /><br />They also put up roadblocks and took out rallies to protest the failure of TDP-led government to get the special status from the Centre.<br /><br />The shutdown evoked good response in both Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions. Communist Party of India (CPI) and CPI-Marxist also took out rallies in support of the shutdown. <br /><br />Police arrested YSRCP leaders in Vijayawada when they staged a sit-in at the Nehru bus station. Former minister Parthasarthi and Vangaveeti Radha were among those arrested.<br /><br />In Visakhapatnam, police arrested YSRCP leader Vijay Sai Reddy, a close aide of party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, and other party leaders and activists for blocking the road.<br /><br />Police also arrested YSRCP legislators and other leaders and workers in the temple town of Tirupati. CPI and CPI-M activists took out a rally in Anantapur.<br /><br />Protests were also held in Kadapa, Kurnool, Nellore, Guntur, Ongole, Rajahmundry, Eluru, Srikakulam and other towns.<br /><br />Leader of the opposition Jaganmohan Reddy said the Telugu Desam Party government had failed to get special status for the state though it shared power at the Centre. <br /><br />He said the Centre should immediately fulfill the commitment as the delay in doing so had already led to loss of precious lives.<br /><br />Three persons have committed suicide over the issue. Another person died of heart stroke in Kurnool on Friday.<br /><br />Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urge him to immediately grant special status to the revenue-deficit state.<br /><br />The then UPA government had promised special status while dividing Andhra Pradesh to carve out a separate Telangana state.<br /></div>
<div>Normal life was hit on Saturday by the day-long shutdown called by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) to protest the delay in according special status to Andhra Pradesh.<br /><br />Buses of state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) went off the roads while shops, business establishments and educational institutions were closed in most parts of the 13 districts.<br /><br />The left parties, students' groups, traders, employees' unions and people's organisations announced their support to the shutdown call.<br /><br />YSRCP workers took to streets in many towns since early morning. Raising slogans of 'we want special status' and 'CM down down', they staged sit-ins at APSRTC depots to prevent buses from coming out. <br /><br />They also put up roadblocks and took out rallies to protest the failure of TDP-led government to get the special status from the Centre.<br /><br />The shutdown evoked good response in both Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions. Communist Party of India (CPI) and CPI-Marxist also took out rallies in support of the shutdown. <br /><br />Police arrested YSRCP leaders in Vijayawada when they staged a sit-in at the Nehru bus station. Former minister Parthasarthi and Vangaveeti Radha were among those arrested.<br /><br />In Visakhapatnam, police arrested YSRCP leader Vijay Sai Reddy, a close aide of party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, and other party leaders and activists for blocking the road.<br /><br />Police also arrested YSRCP legislators and other leaders and workers in the temple town of Tirupati. CPI and CPI-M activists took out a rally in Anantapur.<br /><br />Protests were also held in Kadapa, Kurnool, Nellore, Guntur, Ongole, Rajahmundry, Eluru, Srikakulam and other towns.<br /><br />Leader of the opposition Jaganmohan Reddy said the Telugu Desam Party government had failed to get special status for the state though it shared power at the Centre. <br /><br />He said the Centre should immediately fulfill the commitment as the delay in doing so had already led to loss of precious lives.<br /><br />Three persons have committed suicide over the issue. Another person died of heart stroke in Kurnool on Friday.<br /><br />Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urge him to immediately grant special status to the revenue-deficit state.<br /><br />The then UPA government had promised special status while dividing Andhra Pradesh to carve out a separate Telangana state.<br /></div>