Fasting Cong Telangana leader admitted to hospital

Congress MLA and former minister Komatireddy Venkata Reddy observing an indefinite fast in his native Nalgonda district in support of separate Telangana demand was forcibly shifted to a hospital in Hyderabad on Sunday.

He was admitted to the state-run Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences. Earlier, the MLA legislator and his supporters tried to resist the police.

Reddy had begun his fast on November 1, demanding that the Centre concede the demand for separate Telangana immediately.

"We brought him to Hyderabad as his health was causing concern. There were ketone bodies in the urine and potassium levels were also coming down. I was informed that there might be a problem if he was not attended to in 12 hours. Hence, we brought him to Hyderabad. His physical condition otherwise is alright," state Health Minister D L Ravindra Reddy said.

All India Congress Committee Secretary P Sudhakar Reddy said party president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel was informed about Venkata Reddy's fast.

"Venkata Reddy says he wants to continue his fast. We appeal to the Centre to accept separate Telangana demand for these agitations to end," Congress MP from Nalgonda Gutta Sukhender Reddy said.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Telangana political Joint Action Committee  members had also expressed solidarity with his fast.