Rajahmundry: Congress MP Chiranjeevi and APCC chief N Raghuveera Reddy were taken into police custody at Rajahmundry Airport on Monday. The two leaders were on their way to meet Mudragada Padmanabham, who is leading the Kapu reservation stir in the state.
Raghuveera Reddy had said that he along with other senior Congress leaders would be meeting Mudragada as a show of support.
According to sources, as per instructions given by party president Sonia Gandhi, AP Congress in-charge Digvijay Singh and former Union minister M.M. Pallam Raju telephoned Mr Padmanabham and extended their support to him.
Read: Kapu community leader Mudragada shuts door on talks
The leaders said that the party would help Mudragada in his attempt to have the Kapus included in the BC and OBC lists at the Centre if the state government forwarded their demand.
Mudragada Pamanabham had locked himself along with his wife Padmavathi and some followers in his house at Kirlampudi in East Godavari district on the third day of his indefinite fast on Sunday.
Mr Padmanabham, who wants reservations for Kapus among other things, said there was no prospect of talks on the issue unless the government issues a written order accepting his demands.
Mr Padmanabhan did not allow joint collector S. Satyanarayana who had come to the house along with superintendent of police M. Raviprakash, and a team of doctors, to check on their health.
Read: Quota row: Kapu leader Mudragada goes on indefinite hunger strike
Mr Padmanabham said he and his wife were doing well, and did not need medical tests. He said they were ready to sacrifice their lives for the welfare of the Kapu community.
The joint collector said that conducting medical tests on a fasting person was mandatory. To this, Mr Padmanabham shouted at them and locked the house.
Earlier, the Kapunadu leader said he would neither give up his fast nor subject himself to any medical examinations. Mr Padmanabham said that if Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was adamant, he was more than a match for him.
He also demanded Mr Naidu reveal how he had amassed his alleged wealth of Rs 2 lakh-crore from being a marginal farmer with two acres.
“If Mr Naidu reveals that secret, no caste will ask him reservations and everybody will follow him and become as rich as him. Then there would be no need for reservations,” Mr Padmanabham said.
