Health condition of four students continues to be a cause for concern as their indefinite fast for Samaikhya Andhra entered 11th day on Monday.
Relay fasts by Andhra University students, the Congress and the Telugu Desam in the city and some other places in the district continued.
The TDP organised a half-naked procession in the city. Its corporators sit on indefinite fast from Tuesday.
Vice-Chancellor of AP State University of Law Y. Satyanarayana called on the students at the relay hunger strike camp on AU campus. The four students, who are continuing their fast in the King George Hospital, are in a serious condition in spite of being administered IV fluids since Sunday morning.
The condition of one of them, T. Kumar, who is suffering from jaundice, is deteriorating and if the students did not take solid food many serious complications would arise, said RMO B. Bangaraiah.
Rumours do rounds
While the situation in the city and district continued to be peaceful, there was a speculation and rumours made rounds that the fasting Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, who suddenly left a Vijayawada hospital on Sunday night, would reach here for treatment.
Since Mr. Rajagopal has many close friends and relatives here, the rumours gained strength.
The scene near the hunger strike camp on AU campus in the afternoon was the best example of how people could be easily misled by a rumour. With calls coming from the Congress leaders, about a hundred press persons reached the spot in no time and OB vans of channels were there.
But they were sure that the MP could avoid the police all along the 350 km route from Vijayawada and reach here. Police in large numbers were rushed to the campus.
After about 45 minutes of wait, all came to know that the MP surfaced at the NIMS in Hyderabad.
A group of students of AU collected 400 signatures on a letter to the Prime Minister seeking the Centre to withdraw its announcement on Telangana issue and keep the State unified, according to a final year law student M. Srinivasa Rao.
Bullock cart procession
Bheemunipatnam MLA M. Srinivasa Rao of Praja Rajyam on Monday visited the relay hunger strike camp at Padmanabham and later addressed a meeting in which strongly advocated Samaikhya Andhra.
A bullock cart procession was taken out in the mandal in which Mr. Srinivasa Rao and leaders of the Congress, Telugu Desam and others participated.
