Congress Members of Parliament from the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh on Monday began a fast demanding the withdrawal of police cases registered against all students and said they were not satisfied with the lifting of only 600 'minor cases'.
Eleven Congress MPs and 20 legislators started fasting at Gunpark in front of the state assembly, rejecting the appeal made by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Sunday night, asking the Parliamentarians not to undertake the proposed fast.
"This is not a protest against our own government. The students are not hardcore criminals. One year has passed since we are making this demand. This is a self-infliction to bring moral pressure on our government," said Congress's Rajya Sabha member K Keshav Rao.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the withdrawal of nearly 600 minor cases against the students, Keshav Rao demanded that all cases be withdrawn. He denied that the MPs are indulging in 'political posturing' by undertaking a fast.
Keshav Rao also demanded the withdrawal of the central paramilitary forces deployed in Telangana. When asked if their fast has the blessings of Sonia Gandhi, Congress MP Sarve Satyanarayana said, "We have the blessings of Sonia Gandhi for every good thing."
On a query about their threat of resignations, Keshav Rao said they will tender their resignations to Sonia Gandhi for pursuing the demands for introduction of a bill in Parliament for the formation of a separate state of Telangana.
Meanwhile, Telangana Joint Action Committee convenor M Kondandaram visited the MPs to express his solidarity.
'Telangana people treated as second-rate citizens'
Telangana: Yesterday, today and tomorrow
The end of the Second Telangana Movement
Telangana turns up in numbers to cast crucial vote