As Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham's indefinite fast entered day five, prominent Kapu caste leaders, and those belonging to opposition parties, issued an ultimatum to the government to respond to the demands raised by the fasting leader in two days.
The leaders said they would announce their action plan two days later, depending upon the response from the TDP government.
About a hundred Kapu leaders met at Park Hyatt hotel, Hyderabad, to discuss the situation in the backdrop of deteriorating health condition of Mudragada.
The meeting was attended by former union ministers MM Pallam Raju, Dasari Narayanarao, Tollywood Megastar and former union tourism minister K Chiranjeevi, former Congress minister C Ramachandraiah, YSRCP senior leader Botsa Satyanarayana and senior Kapu leaders such as Kannababu, Ambati Rambabu etc.
"We are giving a two-day time to the state government to start negotiations with fasting Kapu leader Mudragara. The government should ensure that he called off the fast before it is too late. We will announce our action plan after two days depending upon the government response," said Chiranjeevi and Dasari Narayanarao.
Mudragada, a former TDP minister, has been on indefinite fast for five days demanding the release of all those Kapu youth arrested in cases connected with a train burning incident that occurred on January 31, 2016.
Violence erupted in Tuni town on that day after a public meeting organized by Mudragada to demand Backward caste status to Kapus.
Suspecting that Mudragada had taken up the Kapu reservation issue at the behest of opposition YSRC leader Jaganmohan Reddy, the TDP government started arresting Kapu youth on a large scale.
Protesting the arrests and demanding their release Mudragada launched an indefinite fast on September 9 from his residence at Kirlampudi, East Godavari district.
However, within hours, police smashed the doors and arrested the Kapu leader. Later he was shifted to a hospital in Rajahmundry. But, Mudragada revived his fast from his hospital bed.
The Kapu leaders, having been disallowed by the police to meet Mudragada, today met to condemn government’s attitude towards Kapus.
“We strongly condemn the restrictions imposed on visitors who want to meet Mudragada. Police set up jammers making the fasting leader inaccessible even on phone. Are we living in India or Pakistan,” Dasari wondered.
Dasari and Chiranjeevi declared Mudragada was not alone.
“Entire Kapu community is behind him. We have lost one Kapu leader Vangaveeti Ranga. We don’t want to lose Mudragada now. The government will have to face serious repercussions if any harm were to happen to Mudragada,” they warned.
Targeting chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, they asked him to stop pitting TDP’s Kapu leaders against those Kapus who are supporting Mudragada.
