VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is observing a 12-hour fast today, on his birthday, protesting the 'indifferent' attitude of the Centre towards Andhra Pradesh.
People from all walks of life were seen walking to the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation stadium in Vijayawada to participate in the Chief Minister's Dharma Porata Deeksha, a 12-hour fast taken up demanding justice for Andhra Pradesh, which has been denied Special category Status, as promised during state bifurcation.
At 7 am, Chandrababu Naidu, who turns 68 today, walked into IGMC stadium to sit on the fast. Instead of spending his time with his family on his birthday, Chandrababu Naidu decided to stage a one-day protest on behalf of the five crore people of the state to safeguard their interest.
After offering floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, Portion Sriramulu, Jyothi Rao Phule, he came on to the dias. He was blessed by priests from Tirumala temple, Kanaka Durga temple, elders from Islam, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain communities.
Chandrababu Naidu sat silently looking at the crowd including leaders and activists of his party, members different organizations, students, employees, women coming to support his Deeksha demanding implementation of the provisions in AP Reorganization Act, and marching past the dias holding placards with slogans demanding justice for Andhra Pradesh.
The Telugu Desam Party supremo’s decision to observe a day-long fast is seen as a step to wrest the initiative from the opposition YSR Congress, whose MPs quit their posts on the issue of special category status and organised a hunger strike in New Delhi to press their demand.
Meanwhile, the YSRC, Congress and Left parties have ridiculed the Naidu's fast by stating that the Chief Minister who was silent on the injustice done to State by the NDA regime for four long years, has come up with the new game plan to gain political mileage in the ensuing elections.