Amaravati, Nov 1 (IANS) The YSR Congress Party has slammed the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and its allies for failing to celebrate the Andhra Pradesh formation day on November 1, labeling it as a blatant disrespect toward Potti Sriramulu, who sacrificed his life for a separate Andhra state.

Former MLAs Vellampalli Srinivas and Malladi Vishnu paid floral tributes to Potti Sriramulu at the YSRCP Central Office and expressed their concerns over the TDP's handling of Andhra Pradesh’s formation legacy.

Addressing a press conference, Vellampalli Srinivas condemned the TDP-led coalition government for ignoring Andhra Pradesh's Formation Day, stating that it disrespects not only Sriramulu's sacrifice but also the Arya Vaishya community to which Sriramulu belonged.

Malladi Vishnu demanded that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan publicly apologise to the Arya Vaishya community. He called for the government to reinstate November 1 as the official State Formation Day and recognise it with respect befitting its historical significance.

Vellampalli reminded the public of the previous TDP government's actions, where instead of celebrating Formation Day, it chose to observe June 2 (the date Telangana was formed) incurring unnecessary expenses. He stressed that failing to mark Formation Day dishonors the sacrifices of Andhra Pradesh's founding heroes.

Earlier, YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, through a social media post, greeted people on the occasion of state formation day.

Vellampalli also criticised the state government for ignoring the Arya Vaishya community in the recent appointment of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Board members.

Vellampalli expressed concern over the revival of the Chintamani drama, which he claims portrays Arya Vaishyas in an unflattering light.

While YSRCP had previously abolished the play due to community appeals, recent attempts to reinstate it were criticised by Vellampalli, warning that the Arya Vaishya community would not tolerate such actions.