BJP leaders take up day-long fast in Telugu states

In response to the call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the complete washout of the budget session of Parliament, BJP leaders and legislators in the two Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh took up the day-long fast on Thursday to ‘safeguard democracy’.

PM Modi via an audio bridge called upon the Union Ministers, and BJP MPs in their respective constituencies to observe the day-long fast as a protest against the opposition for its role in not allowing the Parliament to function.

Former Union Minister and MP Bandaru Dattatreya led the fast in Hyderabad at a function hall in the Khairtabad area of the city.

Union Minister of state for Panchayat Raj Purshotham Rupala, BJP's Telangana Unit President K Laxman, the party's floor leader in the state Assembly G Kishan Reddy also were seen participating in the fast.

In Andhra Pradesh, BJP president Kambhampati Haribabu and other party leaders participated in the one-day hunger strike at Visakhapatnam. Speaking on the occasion, Haribabu lashed out at the TDP MPs for making a mockery of the Parliament by disturbing the proceedings repeatedly.

He further denied the allegations made by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu who said that the BJP had instigated AIADMK MPs to protest in the Parliament in a bid to make the Lok Sabha Speaker refuse to take up no-confidence motion moved by TDP over Special Category Status.