Will give Spl status to AP if voted to power in 2019 LS polls: Rahul

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday joined a protest by Narendra Modi government's ally, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and YSR Congress, backing their demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh.

He promised to accord special status to the State if his party is voted to power in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

"We will give special category status to Andhra Pradesh. It is the first thing that we will do after coming to power in 2019," he said, addressing parliamentarians from the State during their protest at Jantar Mantar.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed frequent disruptions and adjournments as parliamentarians from Andhra Pradesh demanded special status for the State,   which was bifurcated to carve out the state of Telangana under the second term of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre.

Amid the melee in Lok Sabha, the Congress-led Opposition also  raised  the Punjab National Bank fraud involving Nirav Modi, prompting Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the House minutes after it assembled for the day.

A debate on the "alleged systemic irregularities in the banking sector over the years and its impact on the Indian economy" was scheduled to be held in the Lok Sabha under Rule 193, which does not entail voting.

When the Lower House re-assembled at 12 noon, the Congress demanded that the debate be held under some other rule.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar  was expressed surprise at the  Congress demand saying the party's own member K C Venugopal had given notice for a debate under Rule 193.

'Punish the guilty'

"A debate must be held on the irregularities in banking sector and those involved must be punished. Congress should be ready to discuss what happened in the past as well," he said.

With the Congress and other Opposition parties refusing to relent, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day.

Earlier,  Rahul Gandhi  along with his partymen staged a protest against the PNB fraud, near Mahatma Gandhi statue at Parliament House. He demanded answers from the Prime Minister on the loan fraud.