YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy began an indefinite fast in Chanchalguda jail on Sunday to protest against the Congress’ “unilateral” decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh without addressing the concerns of the people of Seemandhra region.
The Kadapa MP demanded that the Centre should maintain status quo, if it could not do justice to all the three regions. Prison authorities confirmed that Mr. Jagan refused to take lunch and dinner since morning, though they had not checked whether he had taken his breakfast.
As reports of demonstrations in support of Mr. Jagan’s fast started coming in from parts of Seemandhra region, the jail authorities beefed up security around the Chanchalguda central prison and posted a good number of personnel to avoid any untoward incident. The fast comes in the light of the Congress’ decision to speed up the process for bifurcation once the ongoing winter session of the Parliament comes to a close. Mr. Jagan convinced his mother and party’s honorary president Y.S. Vijayalakshmi over telephone to call off her fast after she was taken into custody by the Guntur police and announced that he would sit on indefinite hunger strike demanding justice to three regions.
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The YSRCP president, however, did not submit any written communication to the prison authorities about his decision to go on a fast. Jail Superintendent Saidaiah said there was a separate chapter dealing with the hunger strikes in the jail manual and the authorities would take steps accordingly if the same situation continued on Monday too.
Meanwhile, party spokesman Ambati Rambabu confirmed Jagan commenced his fast and appealed to the party cadre to express solidarity in exposing the Centre for taking a “unilateral” decision and not in the interests of the two regions.