HYDERABAD, August 24; YSR Congress honorary president Y.S. Vijayamma on Saturday called off her indefinite fast opposing proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh after she was forcibly shifted to a hospital in Guntur in the wee hours.
Ms. 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 Jagan Mohan Reddy will 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 here while returning to Hyderabad from Guntur.
Ms. Vijayamma alongwith former TDP 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 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 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 government would be able to settle the pressing issues like sharing of water, development of irrigation projects,” Ms. Vijayamma, who recently resigned as MLA from Pulivendula seat, said.
Referring to the CWC resolution, which proposed Hyderabad would be the joint capital of proposed Telangana and other regions —Rayalaseema and Andhra — for ten years, she said 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.
