Kapu community launches protests across Andhra Pradesh

Protesting against the TDP government’s failure to fulfill its poll-time promise to declare Kapus as a backward caste, members of the community protested across Andhra Pradesh beating empty plates. 

Protestors skipped their lunch and gathered in their respective localities to express dismay over the government’s let down. Kapu leader and former Kakinada MP Mudragada Padmanabham and his wife Padmavathi began their indefinite hunger strike at 9 am Friday at their residence in Kirlampudi in East Godavari district. 

The strike is a symbolic representation of the widespread poverty of the Kapus against the general notion that they are economically advanced. 

“My demands are simple, grant Rs 1900 crore for the Kapu Corporation for the two years and grant BC status to Kapus,” Mudragada told the media before sitting on hunger strike, adding he was prepared to give up the strike even if the government reduces the BC commission’s timeframe from six to



three months. 

A team of doctors monitoring his health said Friday evening that his sugar levels have dropped.

Despite police imposing section 144 across the district and restricting movement between Kirlampudi and nearby towns, a steady stream of Kapu activists and well-wishers have been reaching Kirlampudi to express solidarity with Mudragada. Police were seen allowing supporters in batches to Mudragada’s residence. 

Signalling that it is open for negotiation, the state government Thursday night despatched its Kapu leaders Tota Trimurtulu, Bonda Umamaheswar Rao and Boddu Bhasakara Rama Rao to persuade Mudragada to give up the strike action. But the leaders returned to Vijayawada without any assurances from the former MP.

On Friday four ministers out of the six Cabinet Sub-Committee members have met Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu who is in Visakhapatnam for the International Fleet Review and apprised him of the situation.