The struggle for a separate Railway Zone for Andhra Pradesh will continue, said YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy after calling on party’s district president Gudivada Amarnath at the King George Hospital here on Monday.
Mr. Amarnath, who went on an indefinite fast from April 14 demanding the Railway Zone with headquarters in Visakhapatnam, was forcibly taken by the police to the KGH late on Sunday night. Mr. Jagan who made a flying visit to the city met the party leader at a special ward in KGH and offered him lime juice to put an end to the fast.
Mr. Jagan was with his party leader for nearly one hour. Mr. Amarnath’s family members, party leaders were present. Mr. Amarnath told The Hindu that Mr. Jagan had asserted that the fight for the Zone would continue and would address a public meeting on the issue in the city, if necessary. He appreciated Mr. Amarnath for taking the issue to the people successfully and roping in the Left parties, other opposition parties, people’s organisations and others.
Medical treatment for Mr. Amarnath started soon after Mr. Jagan made him break the fast. Superintendent of KGH M. Madhusudhana Babu informed Mr. Jagan that force feeding would be necessary since ketone, sodium, creatinine, sugar levels were not in good condition. Fluids are being administered to him, Dr. Madhusudhana Rao said.
Later Mr. Jagan told reporters Chief Minister and Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu was not putting pressure on the Central Government to get the Zone sanctioned though knowing fully well that it would bring a lot of benefits to the State like additional trains, huge employment potential, etc. Mr. Naidu was not withdrawing his party men from the Central Cabinet to force it fulfil the promises made to AP in the State Reorganisation Act to get the Railway Zone, Special Category Status, funds for Polavaram project, etc., because he would not like to be bothered by the vote for note case.
Mr. Naidu should learn a lesson from a young man like Mr. Amarnath who decided to stake his life to achieve people’s wish, the YSRC leader said. The Railway Zone was among the several promises Mr. Naidu had made during the elections and people and the almighty would punish him for failure to deliver it, Mr. Jagan said. He repeated his challenge to Mr. Naidu to make the YSRC MLAs, who allegedly were purchased by the TDP to switch sides, resign and get them elected on the TD ticket and prove his claim that he was popular among the people.
