Hyderabad, December 16: The agitation for united Andhra Pradesh intensified on Tuesday with two leaders of the Congress going on an indefinite hunger strike.
Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, whom the police picked up in Hyderabad last night for creating disturbances with his protests, moved to Vijayawada in the early hours and sat on a hunger strike at the PWD Grounds there. He announced that he would tour all the 23 districts in the State to promote awareness that people would prosper only if the State remained united.
Earlier in the day in Hyderabad, the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s brother and MLC YS Vivekananda Reddy arrived with his supporters at the statue of Potti Sriramulu, on the occasion of the late leader’s death anniversary, and started his hunger strike. When he refused to move out in spite of persuasion, the police detained him and later shifted him to his native Kadapa district.
The MLAs and MLCs from Andhra and Rayalaseema areas took out a procession in Hyderabad earlier in the day demanding that the State should remain united. In the evening, they submitted a memorandum to the Governor pressing for their demand.
–Agencies