RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: The blood pressure crept up in the Andhra Pradesh government as Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham's health slid further on Monday, the fifth day of his fast. With no sign of the man giving up his protest the decibel levels of protests in East Godavari district went up.
Leaders of the Kapu social group across the state, particularly in East Godavari, are denouncing the government's 'apathy' to his demand for the release of Kapu youngsters arrested for their alleged role in the arson at Tuni on January 31.
Police have sealed all entry points into the district to stop Mudragada supporters from slipping in to the district. With Mudradaga remaining adamant and refusing any treatment, Kapu community leaders assembled in Hyderabad, cutting across party lines. These included Chiranjeevi, Botcha Satyanarayana, Dasari Narayana Rao and M M Pallam Raju. They expressed solidarity with Mudragada.
Narayana Rao warned the government of "consequences" if it did not concede the Kapu leader's demands in two days. "Our future course of action will depend on the government's response," he said.
Given Mudragada's steadfast nature, government officials are racking their brains as to how to get him to relent. He has been warning them that any force would only provoke him into taking extreme decisions. Joint collector S Satyanarayana is updating the government on the situation in and around the hospital.
Meanwhile, Amalapuram, a Kapu stronghold, and Kirlampudi, Mudragada's native village, are under a police lockdown. The police are not allowing even the media into the Government Hospital in Rajamahendravaram. The doctors' phones too have been taken away from them.
The police favour forcible administration of medicine to Mudragada but officials want to wait till he mellows down and cooperates since any force might lead to an unpleasant situation. All the family members of Mudragada are rejecting medical aid and have decided to continue to be on protest.
Meanwhile, the agony of patients who need treatment in the hospital is continuing as police have sealed off all roads leading to it. East Godavari District Congress Committee (DCC) president Kandula Durgesh felt that Kapu leaders should meet Governor E S L Narasimhan in Hyderabad and take to his notice the government's attitude and the highhandedness of police while dealing with the situation.