The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Manda Krishna forcibly shifted to hospital; asks cadre to stop protests

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Manda Krishna forcibly shifted to hospital; asks cadre to stop protests

Special Correspondent

Policemen descend on his camp in wee hours of Saturday and whisk him away

HYDERABAD: In a well-planned operation in the wee hours of Saturday, police shifted the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS) founder Manda Krishna to Gandhi Medical Hospital, breaking his indefinite fast that had entered ninth day.

There was heavy presence of MRPS cadres around the huge house in Lakshmi Nagar, where he had parked himself for his ‘fast-unto-death’ demanding categorisation of Scheduled Castes and reservations in tune with their population.

Quick operation

From 10 p.m. on Friday, the atmosphere was agog, with the police making it very clear that Mr. Krishna would be forcibly shifted to hospital and the cadres preparing to counter it.

At 1.15 a.m. on Saturday, a strong posse of slightly over 100 police personnel with enough women too stormed the building.

As one team rushed into the complex, another team picked up all those who opposed their movement, clearing the route for Mr. Krishna to be brought down from the second floor portion.

The fasting leader was lifted into a ‘108’ ambulance and whisked away to Gandhi Medical Hospital.

On Saturday evening, Mr. Krishna told presspersons that a massive rally would be taken out from Indira Park on May 24 and lay siege to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s camp residence.

Plea to supporters

He urged his supporters to refrain from showing their protest in any manner till May 24. He reiterated the demand the Chief Minister use his good offices to ensure that a Bill was introduced in Parliament before May 9.

Demand

However, Mr. Krishna demanded that until such time as the process of categorisation was completed, admissions in educational institutions and recruitment be suspended to ensure that SCs did not lose the benefit of reservation.

Quota issue

The MRPS leader recalled that in the issue pertaining to reservations for Muslims, admissions and recruitment were kept open till November a few years ago.

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