TUNI/VIJAYAWADA/HYDERABAD:It appears to be the calm before a storm in Andhra Pradesh. The reorganised State, which witnessed violent incidents on Sunday when the Kapu Ikya Garjana took an unforeseen turn, on Monday appeared peaceful, barring high decibel fireworks between politicos belonging to ruling and opposition parties involving in blame game over Kapu reservation issue.
State’s political landscape echoed with charges and counter charges hurled at eachother by the ruling and opposition parties over who was responsible for the violent incidents that took place at Tuni on Sunday, even as Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham, who is spearheading the Kapu movement, held state government squarely responsible for the violence.
Mudragada alleged that ‘bad elements’ encouraged by TDP and government responsible for the violence.
“Violence was a premeditated plan of the State government and it had intentionally planted bad elements among the participants who attended the meeting and ensured that they created ruckus to create disturbance. Violence was never our plan. All we wanted was to have our voice heard and our anguish understood,” he claimed.
However, giving five more days time to the State government to concede to his demand of granting BC Status to Kapus, Mudragada announced that he would take up fast unto death from Friday, that is February 5. He said his fast will commence between 9 am and 10 am on Friday and only he and his wife Padmavati would sit on indefinite fast.
“Our goal will be achieved, even if it takes my life,” he asserted and squarely blamed chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for the present crisis.
As more Kapu leaders joined the movement and expressed their solidarity with the agitating Mudragada on Monday, Leader of Opposition and YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy too announced his support to the Kapu movement.
Jagan went ballistic at Chief Minister Naidu for pointing an accusing finger at the YSRC for the violent incidents that had taken place at Tuni, by calling Naidu a “criminal No 1, conspirator and inhuman person.”
“Tamil Nadu has 69 percent reservation. Naidu can do a similar thing by bringing pressure on the Centre to amend the constitution so as to include Kapus in BCs list,” he suggested.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naidu during a press meet clarified that his promise to include Kapus in BC list would be implemented only after the commission formed to study the issue submits its report.
“The Constitutional process needs to be followed in this matter so that the order stands at law. They have waited for 23 years after the GO was issued, but could not wait for some more time for an amicable solution,” he said while blaming opposition parties for provoking Kapus towards violence.
Man Ends Life for Quota Cause
A person from Rajamahendravaram, named Suri Babu, hanged himself to death for the cause of reservation for Kapus. Suri Babu hanged himself from a dish antenna at the development office at Kakinada Collectorate. The police recovered a suicide note in which the victim said, “Kapus should be included in the BC list”
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