Jagan to launch indefinite hunger strike in jail

YSR Congress honorary president Y S Vijayamma called off her indefinite fast opposing proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday after she was forcibly shifted to a hospital in Guntur in the wee hours.

Vijayamma, who began indefinite hunger strike at Guntur on August 19, called off the protest in the evening though she had vowed to continue it from the hospital. She also announced that her son and jailed Kadapa MP Jaganmohan Reddy would go on indefinite fast seeking "justice for Seemandhra people".

"I am ending my indefinite fast on request of Jagan," she told reporters at Gannavaram airport in Vijaywada while returning to Hyderabad from Guntur.

Vijayamma along with former Telugu Desam Party minister S Aruna, MLC N Raha Kumari and MLA Y Srinivas Rao, who were on hunger strike since last five days, were forcibly taken to the government general hospital by police in the wee hours due to their deteriorating health. She had vowed to continue her fast from the hospital even as both YSR Congress and TDP called for a shutdown on Saturday in Guntur town against the police action.

"Bifurcation (of Andhra Pradesh) is unfortunate and is injustice to Seemandhra region. The creation of Telangana would result into many complicated issues," she said.

Accusing the Congress of taking the decision to divide the state in a haste Vijayamma, wife of former chief minister (late) Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, said various welfare and development programmes will come to a standstill if division is allowed.

"I wonder how the government would be able to settle the pressing issues like sharing of water, development of irrigation projects," Vijayamma, who recently resigned as MLA from Pulivendula seat, said.

Referring to the Congress working committee resolution, which proposed Hyderabad would be the joint capital of proposed Telangana and other regions -- Rayalaseema and Andhra -- for ten years, she said the Seemandhra region would face the fund crunch due to such move. She appealed to TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu to resign and lead the agitation against bifurcation.