A man climbed a mobile phone tower near Delhi’s Metro Bhawan demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh, ANI reported. He was seen holding a placard with “AP [Andhra Pradesh] needs special status” written on it. However, the man was brought down after the police and a fire tender arrived.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Madhur Verma told PTI in the afternoon that the man had been sitting on planks propped up on the tower. Verma said efforts were being made to bring him down.
The ruling Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh had moved a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government after the Centre failed to accord special category status to the state. The Centre won the motion 325 to 126.
The Telugu Desam Party was a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party-run National Democratic Alliance until March, when it quit the coalition citing unhappiness with the Centre’s treatment of Andhra Pradesh.
