Naidu ends fast after pressure from TDP leaders, state govt

A day after the state government forced the fasting opposition leader TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu to end his protest by injecting intravenous fluids, the TDP chief was convinced by a group of national party leaders to end his protest.

With leaders promising to join him in designing a national level movement against the government for protecting farmers in the country, Naidu ended his fast by drinking a glass of coconut water.

Various political party leaders, including Ajit Singh, AB Bardhan, Prakash Karat, Vaigo, Sharad Yadav, Om Prakash Chautala and Thambidurai met Naidu at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) on Friday and convinced him to end his fast.

“Naidu is not just a state leader,” Bardhan said. “He has been playing a major role in national politics as well. We told him that ending of fast does not mean we are giving up. We are all going to meet shortly to design a national level movement on the issue of farmers. After our persuasion, Naidu agreed to carrying out the movement on a common platform,” he said.

Naidu started an indefinite fast on December 17 at MLA quarters seeking better compensation to flood-hit farmers. He had given out a list of 20 demands to the state government. However, he was arrested on December 19 and shifted to NIMS.

He was also booked for attempting to commit suicide. Naidu continued his protest in the hospital.

On Thursday, showing the court order, the government shifted him to ICCU and administered intravenous fluids.

During Naidu’s protest, the state government announced a package of Rs6,000 per acre to the affected farmers. Naidu was seeking Rs10,000 per acre. However, chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy refused to make any amendments to the already announced package.