HYDERABAD: After increasing political temperature for the past four days following the State government’s refusal to permit him to lauch an indefinite hunger-strike in the new capital region, YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday postponed his proposed indefinite fast, scheduled to begin on Saturday in Guntur, over the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh, to a later date.
According to the party leaders, when the YSRC leadership moved a House Motion petition in the High Court on Friday seeking a directive to the State government to give permission to Jagan’s ‘deeksha’, the court asked the YSRC to come in regular form. In view of this, the party decided to defer the deeksha, so as to approach the court again on Monday.
“The proposed indefinite fast of Jagan Mohan Reddy demanding special status for the State stands postponed as the TDP government has denied permission and it will be held once the High Court gives its verdict,” party leader P Ramachandra Reddy told newsmen here on Friday.
“The TDP government denying permission for the protest programme, slated for September 26 in Guntur, and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s remarks on Jagan’s fast are highly objectionable. It shows that the government is not inclined towards getting the special status for its own reasons and wants to scuttle any move by anyone in that direction” he lambasted.
As the denial of permission was conveyed after all the arrangements were made, the YSRCP had moved the High Court through a House Motion petition. But the court had directed the YSRCP to come in the regular form, he said and added: “We will submit our plea on Monday and we are confident that the verdict will come in our favour.”
According to Ramachandra Reddy, Chandrababu Naidu himself had gone on fast in Delhi and also at the MLA quarters and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had gone on a hunger-strike on the Cauvery water issue earlier.
He further stated that the YSRC had full faith in the judiciary and the fast would be taken up once the party got a clearance from the Court. “Till such date, the indefinite fast stands postponed,” he added.
“Denying permission to the indefinite fast is an act of irresponsibility as people have the right to express their dissent and the TDP has been cold-shouldering the special status issue and the central aid which was announced on Friday is a pittance,” Ramachandra Reddy criticised.