Protests, dharnas, rasta rokos and hunger strikes continued to rock the 13 districts belonging to coastal Andhra and Rayalameema regions for the sixth consecutive day on Tuesday as the agitation for a united Andhra intensified in the state.
As many as 251 relay hunger strike camps are being organised by the united Andhra supporters, according to A Anuradha, inspector general and official spokesperson of police in the state.
Lanco group promoter and Congress MP Lagadapati Rajgopal, whose attempt to go on an indefinite hunger strike in the state capital was thwarted by the police on Monday, continued his fast at Vijaywada today. He wants the Centre to make a statement that the state would not be bifurcated.
Congress MLC and former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s brother, Y S Vivekananda Reddy, was taken into custody when he sat on a hunger strike near Potti Sriramulu’s statue at secretariat here. He was later sent to Kadapa where he said he would continue his fast in support of united Andhra.
In Anantapur, students of Sri Krishna Devaraya University clashed with the police leading to a lathicharge. Following this, the situation on the university campus remained tense.
Protesting against the lathicharge, TDP MLAs led by Payyavula Keshav staged a dharna at the state secretariat. The state Human Rights Commission sought a report on the incident.
Meanwhile, Assembly speaker, N Kiran Kumar Reddy, held a meeting with the state advocate general to discuss the issue of resignation by 139 MLAs submitted to him. Earlier, non-Telangana Telugu Desam Party MLAs met the speaker and urged him to accept their resignations.
On the occasion of the death anniversary of Potti Sriramaulu, non-Telangana MLAs and MLCs took out a rally from the Assembly premises to the former’s statue at secretariat.
MLAs from non-Telangana regions too have submitted a representation to Governor ND Tiwari seeking his intervention to put an end to the current political crisis in the state.
