Police cases: Cong MPs begin indefinite fast

Demanding lifting of all police cases against students and agitators, who participated in the separate statehood agitation, the Telangana Congress Mps on Monday started an indefinite hunger strike at the Telangana Martyrs Memorial at Gun Park, which was later shifted to New MLA Quarters in Adarshnagar.

Raising slogans against the state government’s indifferent attitude, the MPs after paying rich floral tributes to Martyrs’ Memorial, began their indefinite fast, demanding the immediate lifting of police cases against students and agitators.

Earlier, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy appealed to the MPs to withdraw their hunger strike call, stating the government had already lifted cases on 565 students.

The government has been making efforts to lift all cases against the students in a phased manner after discussing with concerned officials, the Chief Minister said.

KKR also deputed a team of Ministers Jana Reddy, Basavaraju Saraiah and Shabbir Ali on behalf of state government to persuade the MPs.

However, the MPs did not relent and continued their fast demanding concrete assurance from the Chief Minister and Home Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy on lifting of cases against students.

MP Sarvey Satyanarayana stated, “We gave enough time to the Chief Minister on lifting of police cases against students. But the government has not come out with a proper decision despite the assurance given by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram. The MPs will continue their fast until the government lifts cases against students.”

He questioned the rationale behind filing criminal cases against students for participating in the bifurcation of state agitation. Mr Satyanarayana also warned the government of serious consequences if it does not withdraw cases against agitators, saying that he and his colleagues were ready to sacrifice their lives for the cause of separate Telangana state.

Earlier, the MPs met at CLP office to discuss future course of agitation on lifting of police cases against students.