Lanco group promoter and Congress MP Lagadapati Rajagopal said he dashed out of Vijayawada Government Hospital and came to Hyderabad to prove that there were two kinds of hunger strikes and also that he had the right to visit the state capital.
Rajagopal, who was on fast in protest against the Centre’s move to bifurcate the state, said his hunger strike ended the moment doctors administered him intravenous fluids on Sunday last. After that, he didn’t consider himself to be on hunger strike though he did not consume any solid food.
“I was on Mahatma Gandhi type of hunger strike for five days and seven hours during which time I did not consume anything. After that I was on modern type of hunger strike during which time I was given IV fluids,” he said in an obvious reference to the 11-day hunger strike of Telangana Rashtra Samithi president, K Chandrasekhara Rao, following which the Centre announced that the process for formation of Telangana state would be initiated.
“Doctors also offered to administer me total parental nutrition (TPN) but I rejected,” Rajagopal said, adding that by taking TPN one would be able to continue hunger strike for 30 years.
Addressing a press conference after being discharged from Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) on Tuesday, Rajagopal said that “if we succumb to modern type of hunger strikes, everyone will start threatening governments.”
He said that he lost 7 kg during the period of his hunger strike and now weighs 74 kg. Nevertheless, he would launch a hunger strike again in Visakhapatnam if the state was going to be bifurcated.
Rajagopal, who left the Vijayawada hospital and admitted himself in NIMS under dramatic circumstances, reiterated that he would quit politics if the state was divided.
Meanwhile, the united Andhra Joint Action Committee observed ‘educational institutions bandh’ in Prakasam, Visakhapatnam, Anantapur and Kadapa districts, while Congress party organised a shutdown in Chittoor district and Dharmavaram in Anantapur district.
According to police, students and other activists participated in agitational programmes including demonstrations, road blocks and relay hunger strikes in the non-Telangana regions. In 74 places "fast–unto–death" camps are being held. Police have taken into custody 21 agitators.
As part of counter agitations, TRS activists damaged still camera and flood lights during shooting of a film starring Manoj Kumar, son of Mohan Babu at Pet Basheerabad in Rangareddy district. G Sridhar Reddy, TDP Kondapur mandal party president commenced hunger strike at Malkapur in Medak district. Ponnala Vashali, daughter–in–law of major irrigation minister P Lakshmaiah, launched a ‘pada yatra’ from Komuravelly temple of Cheriyal mandal in Warangal district. The Adivasi Samkshema Sangham too organised a ‘rally’ at Bhadrachalam demanding formation of separate state for Tribals.
