Jagan Mohan Reddy taken into preventive custody on day 5 of hunger strike against Andhra Pradesh bifurcation

Mr Reddy was taken to the Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences



Hyderabad: Politician Jagan Mohan Reddy, who  had been on a hunger strike  for five days to protest against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, was forcibly moved to the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) tonight after the police took him into preventive custody.

Before he was escorted away from outside his office where he has been fasting, Mr Reddy  told a large crowd of supporters "2014 will be a referendum" on the centre's decision to turn the region of Telangana into a state.

Earlier today, doctors said that the 40-year-old was severely dehydrated but he refused to end his fast.
 

In Delhi this evening, his mother, Vijayamma, met BJP president Rajnath Singh, triggering speculation that an alliance between the two parties is a work-in-progress. Recently, Mr Reddy, who was released last month from jail and is being investigated for corruption, praised the BJP's candidate for prime minister, Narendra Modi, as an efficient administrator. However, Mr Reddy urged the BJP leader to demonstrate his commitment to secularism.

Since Mr Reddy took charge of the YSR Congress party in 2011, he has proven that he is an emerging force in regional politics with strong performances in local elections.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said that an alliance with Mr Reddy could be considered by his party after the national elections are held. But Mr Reddy has been less kind towards the party that his father belonged to.

Over the weekend, he targeted its president Sonia Gandhi for the decision to split Andhra Pradesh into two because "someone wanted their son to be Prime Minister." The reference was to her son, Rahul, and to the recurring criticism that the Congress wants to create a Telangana state for dividends in the national elections, due by May.

न्यूज एक्सप्रेस पर दिग्विजय सिंह का विवादास्पद बयान

कांग्रेस महासचिव दिग्गविजय सिंह ने एकबार फिर से विवादास्पद बयान दिया है. इसबार दिग्गी का ये बयान विपक्षी पार्टियों या फिर भगवा आतंकवाद को लेकर नहीं बल्कि इस देश की सीमा पर तैनात सिपाहियों को लेकर है. सीमा पर तैनात भारतीय सिपाहियों का सर काटने की घटना पर दिग्गविजय सिंह ने कहा है कि हम भी ऐसा करते हैं. दिग्गी का ये बयान सियासी गलियारों में तूफान खड़ा कर सकता है. दिग्गविजय सिंह ने ये बयान न्यूज़ एक्सप्रेस के विशेष कार्यक्रम बेबाक में दिया है. देश के वरिष्ठ पत्रकार और न्यूज़ एक्सप्रेस के एडिटर(महा.) एस एन विनोद से बातचीत में दिग्गी ने कहा कि वे अगला लोकसभा चुनाव भी लड़ने जा रहे हैं. वहीं पार्टी के युवराज राहुल गांधी को लेकर दिग्गी ने कहा है कि राहुल गांधी को किसी की सलाह की जरूरत नहीं है. न्यूज़ एक्सप्रेस के खास कार्यक्रम बेबाक में दिग्गविजय सिंह ने कांग्रेस की भावी रणनीतियों सहित और भी कहीं ज्वलंत मुद्दों पर बेबाकी से अपनी राय रखी . बेबाक का प्रसारण आज शाम 7 बजे न्यूज़ एक्सप्रेस पर किया जाएगा.

Protests against Telangana, powerless in Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad:  Protests against a decision to create Telangana state have left Andhra Pradesh staring at a major power crisis. I-T city Hyderabad has been suffering power cuts since morning and several trains have been cancelled, with thousands of electricity employees staying away from work. In another city in coastal Andhra, there is a shoot-at-sight order since large-scale violence on Saturday.

Here are 10 big developments in this story:

1. Over 30,000 striking electricity employees say they will continue their protests for at least two more weeks. Their agitation has shut down six of the seven units at the power plant in Vijayawada, which meets over a third of the state's power demand.
2. The Vijayawada plant shutdown has led to a shortfall of over 3,500 megawatts, forcing authorities to resort to long power cuts in Hyderabad and several other cities. Officials even fear a collapse of the southern grid, which caters to neighbouring states.
3. "Large parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh, also known as Seemandhra, have been affected by the protests and the power crisis. Reports say ATMs are not functioning in cities like Vijayawada, while several trains have been cancelled since yesterday.
4. There is a shoot-at-sight order and curfew at Vizianagaram town in coastal Andhra Pradesh after violence and arson over the weekend by anti-Telangana protesters. Protesters allegedly set a bank on fire and damaged public and private properties.
5. Some 70,000 striking government employees have not taken their salary for the past two months, ever since the ruling Congress gave in to demands for carving out Telangana, with Hyderabad as its capital.
6. Telangana is one of the three regions of Andhra Pradesh.  The other two - the 13 districts of Seemandhra as the Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions are jointly called - are in total shutdown.
7. Factions in the Congress have alleged that the protests have the backing of Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, who belongs to Seemandhra and has publicly opposed the division of Andhra Pradesh. Sources have ruled out any action against Mr Reddy but say the ruling Congress is closely watching how the Chief Minister handles the crisis.
8. Sources say the Congress may have persuaded union ministers K Chiranjeevi and Pallam Raju not to press for their resignations. The two leaders, along with Kotal Surya Prakash Reddy had resigned as ministers last week to protest against Telangana.
9. Anti-Telangana protests have triggered competitive fasts by politicians. After YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, now Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu has launched an indefinite fast.
10. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has accused both Mr Naidu and Jagan of changing their stand on Telangana, with an eye on polls next year. Both had been seen to be ambiguous about the proposed new state earlier as they drew their support from the non-Telangana regions.