Former Anantapur Member of Parliament and TDP leader J.C. Diwakar Reddy on Saturday called on senior citizens living in Amaravati to go on a fast-unto-death in order to realise their dream of establishing the State capital in the town, promising that he would also join them in their fast if invited, so that the issue is taken to the notice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At a press conference here on Saturday, Mr. Diwakar Reddy took exception to the State government and the Centre allegedly behaving in an equally ‘irresponsible’ manner with regard to the development of the region, which was agreed to as the State capital.
“Let all people in the region, who are above 70 years of age, come forward and sit on a fast-unto-death so that their sacrifice will be beneficial for their children and grandchildren. I am 76 and I am ready to sacrifice my life for their cause,” the former MP said.
Terming all police actions against his family in Tadipatri in the past 19 months as a political vendetta, Mr. Diwakar Reddy questioned as to why no chargesheet was filed even after two years of the Prabhodananda Ashram incident on September 15, 2018.
“They will take up the case just before elections and put us behind bars for a month so that we are not able to file nominations. The recent cases against my brother J.C. Prabhakar and his son Ashmit under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989 are also politically motivated,” he alleged.
Indefinite fast from Monday
Listing the cases against his family that he alleged were politically motivated, Mr. Diwakar Reddy announced that he will sit on an indefinite fast at Tadipatri from Monday, January 4, seeking dropping of all cases in which the police are unable to find any evidence or file a chargesheet immediately.
TDP Anantapur Parliamentary Constituency candidate J.C. Pavan Kumar addressing the reporters, alleged that ineligible persons too were being sanctioned financial assistance under Navaratnalu without any verification, while payment of honorarium to imams and muezzins of mosques is pending for a long time.
Mr. Pavan Kumar also took exception to no arrests being made in the 121 cases filed so far with regard to desecration or damage of Hindu religious places in the State ever since the YSRCP came to power.
