The opposition YSR Congress Party in Andhra Pradesh has called for a statewide shutdown on August 2 to protest against the Centre’s refusal to grant special status to the state.

Not giving special status to Andhra Pradesh by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is a betrayal of the state, said YSR Congress Party.

Party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy told reporters here on Saturday that the Centre has done injustice to the state. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) have together betrayed five crore people of the state.

He appealed to the people to voluntarily observe the shutdown. He said the party would explain to the people the importance of special status for the state.

The leader of opposition said TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu had given indications of continuing in the BJP-led NDA government despite the latter refusing to accord special status to Andhra Pradesh.

Jagan recalled that when the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had promised in Parliament that special status will be granted for five years, the BJP had registered its protest and insisted on the special status for 10 years.

Referring to the BJP’s stance that other states were opposed to the special status to Andhra Pradesh from day one, he wondered how the party included this in its election manifesto.