Kakinada: Kapus of East and West Godavari districts intensified their agitation on Sunday, the third day of the indefinite fast undertaken by their leader Mudragada Padmanabham, demanding that the government concede his demands.
The women of several villages of these districts took the lead in the protest, banging empty plates with spoons.
At P. Gannavaram in East Godavari district, a stronghold of the ruling TD, thousands of people of the Kapu community, including women, staged a dharna in front of the police station and raised slogans against Deputy Chief Minister N. China Rajappa and ZP Chairman N. Rambabu.
The protesters also burnt effigies of Mr China Rajappa at Gannavaram and Vadapalli villages.
As many as 1,500 Telugu Desam workers in Machavaram village in Ambajipet mandal resigned from the party and announced that they would join some other party following Mr Padmanabham’s lead.
The protesters formed a human chain at Clock Tower Centre at Amalapuram and took out a candle-lit procession on Nallavari Street.
The fasting youths Nalla Pawan and Nalla Ajay, and others, continued their indefinite hunger strike in various places in East and West Godavari district.
Relay fasts continued in Mogalturu, Narasapuram, Palakollu, Achanta, Bhimavaram, Vundi, Kalla and other places in West Godavari, Rajahmundry, Gokav-aram, Prathipadu, Elesw-aram, Pithapuram and other places in East Godavari in support of Mr Padmanabham’s demands.
At Chintalapudi of West Godavari district, the police foiled a relay fast by some youths, saying that they were camping on the roadside. The cops removed the tents and took the protesters into custody.
