Mudragada plans fast from Friday

Accuses Naidu of bid to defame Kapu community

Kirlampudi (E Godavari): Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham, who had set the deadline for the AP government till Monday evening to come with a GO providing reservation to Kapus, said he along with his wife would go on fast unto death from Friday.

At a press conference here on Monday, Padmanabham blamed the TDP for the violence. He said anti-social elements belonging to the ruling party caused anarchy in Tuni and the government is trying to dilute the Kapu reservation movement and defame the community.

He said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was taking Kapu community for a ride and faulted him for saying that mere GO is not enough to give reservations for the Kapus. If that was the case then why did he promise reservations for the Kapus before elections, he questioned.

Alleging that the government was trying to arrest him, Padmanabham said that he would continue the fast even if he was jailed. He said they had been fighting for justice for several years and made it clear that their agitation would remain peaceful.

He said the public meeting was organized in Tuni as the Chief Minister failed to fulfill his poll promise. Claiming that their movement was above party lines and that he has dedicated his life for the cause of reservation for the Kapus, Padmanabham condemned the allegations by TDP leaders that he had sold out his community to a party. He said that the YSRCP was not part of the Garjana and that he had never met YSRCP president Jaganmohan Reddy.

Explaining that the whole data of Kapu community is available with the State government in form of socio-economic survey conducted in the year 2011, he opined that the government could easily implement the reservations if it has the commitment.

Replying to a question, he said that setting up commissions has no sense and reiterated that Kapus do not want share in existing reservation structure since they have no intention to disturb it.