Mudragada — a fighter to the core

Mudragada — a fighter to the core:

• B.V.S. BHASKAR
• A defiant Kapu leader, Mudragada Padmanabham, the four-time MLA and one-time MP, holds the record of holding ministerial berths in both the TDP and Congress governments headed by N.T. Rama Rao and M. Chenna Reddy.
  He started his political career as Janata Party MLA in 1978, switched over to the TDP in 1982 and won both the 1983 and 1985 elections from Prattipadu Assembly constituency in East Godavari.
  He took up fast-unto-death three times and indefinite hunger strike for another three times, and this is his 7th deeksha.
  Mr. Padmanabham, though looks genteel, is a fighter and has a 40-year-long political history supported by his wife Padmavathi for the last 22 years.
  He shot into limelight after the murder of Kapu leader Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga Rao in Vijayawada on December 26, 1988.
  Large-scale violence had taken place in East Godavari, where people are still identified as peace-loving and calm-going.
  “About 100 RTC buses, magistrate courts, government buildings, and other public property were damaged during the riots and arson during that time,” said a senior advocate from Amalapuram.
  A seven-day fast-unto-death in 1989 was taken up by Mr. Mudragada when police booked cases against him and farmers of Uttara Kanchi village in Pithapuram mandal, which gave him a good break in politics.
  Ms. Padmavathi also fasted in her Kirlampudi residence in support of her husband.
  He resigned his ministerial berth in NTR cabinet and started Praja Rakshana Samiti and later his own Telugu Nadu Party with K.E. Krishna Murty and K. Jana Reddy, who are now with the TDP and Congress respectively.
  Later, he hosted a great reception to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Prattipadu in 1988 and was elected MLA and held a ministerial berth. He took up BC quota for Kapu community demand in 1993. The Mudragada couple staged indefinite fast in Lampakalova village of Prattipadu mandal.
  After the 1994 defeat in the race for MLA post, he vowed not to contest from the Prathipadu constituency. He launched Kapu Nadu in the same year and then joined the BJP and played a key role in the election of U.V. Krishnam Raju from Kakinada.
  He attended the RSS sakhas during this period. Later in 1999, he represented the TDP in the Lok Sabha from the same seat and lost in the 2004 election. Later, he joined the Congress and lost the election in 2009 from Pithapuram. He then shifted his loyalties to the YSR Congress and even participated in Jaganmohan Reddy’s ‘Odarpu yatras’.
  After keeping away from active politics, it is said that the veteran leader is persuaded to join the TDP again by some local leaders and his loyalists during 2014 elections.
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Mudragada, wife begin fast

Mudragada, wife begin fast:

• B.V.S. BHASKAR
• 

  Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham and family members banging on empty eating plates with spoons to mark their protest.- PHOTO: S. RAMBABU
  The sleepy village of Karlampudi leapt into action on Friday, with Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham and his wife, Padmavathi, launching an indefinite fast, demanding that the State government include Kapus in the BC list.

  His family members — daughter Satyavathi; sons Balu and Giri; daughter-in-law Siri and granddaughter Bhagyasri — also took part in the fast. Hundreds of supporters visited the fasting couple.

  Responding to Mr. Padmanabham’s call, Kapu youth launched indefinite fast at Amalapuram, Ambajipeta, Tuni, Jaggampeta, Prattipadu, Kattipudi, Sankhavaram, and Pithapuram. People banged steel plates with spoons as a gesture to register their protest around noon. There was heavy police presence at Kirlampudi. Police checked vehicles heading towards Prattipadu and Kirlampudi mandals. Several check-posts were set up on the National Highway both from Visakhapatnam and Rajamahendravaram.

  Tension prevailed at Kirlampudi for some time when Mr. Padmanabham’s supporters entered into an argument with police after the former were barred from entering his house. Only mediapersons and doctors team were allowed inside. The police later allowed them visit the leader in a queue. Anxious moments were witnessed for a brief period when the police prevented entry of Congress Rajya Sabha member V. Hanumantha Rao into Mr. Padmanabham’s residence. Mr. Rao staged a dharna by squatting on the road for about 20 minutes. OSD K. Fakeerappa rushed to the spot and allowed the MP to go inside. Anakapalle MP Avanthi Srinivas, former Minister Vatti Vasanta Kumar, former MLA Pantam Gandhimohan, Kapu leader from Pithapuram K. Mohana Rao met Mr. Padmanabham. Speaking to the media, Mr. Padmanabham said people had come to his village in large numbers despite an appeal not to visit Kirlampudi. Doctors from the Kirlampudi PHC are monitoring the health of the couple.

Mudragada to go ahead with fast

Mudragada to go ahead with fast:

•  B.V.S. BHASKAR
• The issue of reservation for the Kapu community is brewing into an uncomfortable issue for the government, which is hosting the International Fleet Review in Visakhapatnam.
  The countdown for former minister and Kapu community leader Mudragada Padmanabham and his wife Padmavathi’s fast-unto-death began after efforts by TDP MLAs Thota Trimurthulu, Bonda Umamaheswara Rao and MLC Boddu Bhaskara Rama Rao to persuade him failed. The couple is likely to launch its protest at 9 a.m. on Friday.
  Mr. Padmanabham, emerging from a 90-minute-long meeting with the TDP legislators, made it clear that he would go ahead with his plans. “ I am not putting up any fresh demands and my main demand is not unreasonable,” he said. Hundreds of supporters, mostly youth from different parts of Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring States, met Mr. Padmanabham and his wife on Thursday.
  “Supporters from far-off places like Gooty, Uravakonda in Anantapur district and Palakonda in Srikakularm are joining him,” said Sai Chilakamarthi, a close associate of the Kapu leader.
  According to a senior police officer, the couple may be taken into custody after the fleet review at Visakhapatnam ends on February 7.
  Mr. Padmanabham had set a deadline for the State government to include his community in the Backward Classes list and release Rs. 1,900 crore immediately. He threatened to sit on a fast if the government failed to do so.
  Police took it as a challenge and deployed more than 5,000 special personnel in Prattipadu (of which Kirlampudi is a part), Jaggampeta and Tuni constituencies to ensure that no untoward incident took place.
  Of the five companies of special police, two have been deployed in Prattipadu and about 1,000 armed police were seen in riot gear.
  Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday asked the State BC Commission Chairman Justice K.L. Manjunath to submit the report on reservation for the Kapu community at the earliest. Mr. Manjunath met Mr. Naidu and said the report could be submitted within the stipulated time. The Congress demanded that Mr. Naidu call an all-party meet to resolve the issue.
  The party opined that statements made by the Chief Minister are only aggravating the problem and polarising communities in the State.

Mudragada couple gears up for fast

Mudragada couple gears up for fast:

•  B.V.S. BHASKAR

Declines police protection; urges his supporters not to visit Kirlampudi

Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham with his wife Padmavati in Kirlampudi on Thursday. —PHOTO: BY ARRANGEMENT

Former Minister and Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham has declined to accept police protection even as he and his wife are gearing up for indefinite fast from Friday morning seeking inclusion of Kapus in the BC list.

Addressing the media on Thursday, he stated that he was ready for talks with government emissaries on his demands.

Stating that a few police officials approached him with a request to accept protection, Mr. Padmanabham said he declined the offer saying that he was friendly with every one.

“There is no other agenda for the police in meeting me separately. I request all my brethren not to come to Kirlampudi from tomorrow,” he added.

He appealed to all his supporters in Kirlampudi, Prattipadu, Tuni, and surrounding areas to go on fast at their respective residences and bang the dining plates at lunch hour to express their protest.

Police presence

Meanwhile, East Godavari SP M. Ravi Prakash advised Mr. Padmanabham’s supporters to stay away from Kirlampudi.

Large contingent of police forces were deployed in the district to avoid any untoward incident, he told the media.

Mr. Ravi Prakash said prohibitory orders had been imposed under Section 30 of the Police Act and Section 144 of the CrPC.

He said that prior permission was mandatory for organising any meeting in the district till withdrawal of the orders.

Mr. Ravi Prakash said that 27 persons figured in the FIR released on Wednesday. They had been booked for violating Section 188 and 32 (conducting meeting without police permission and attending the same meeting).

He made it clear that they would not book cases against innocent people in connection with the violence that was witnessed at V. Kotturu during the Kapu Aikya Garjana on Sunday last.

The SP said that public properties, including Ratnachal Express, hundreds of police vehicles, records, furniture, and other assets worth Rs.100 crore were damaged in the violence.

He said personnel from the CRPF, ITBP, RAC, Armed Reserve, Central Reserve, and AP police were drawn for security in view of hunger strike by Mr. Padmanabham and his wife.

Replying to a question, he said that these forces would be under the control of Inspector-General of Police (coastal region) Kumar Viswajit and Eluru Range Deputy Inspector-General P. Harikumar.

Tuni violence: police file FIR against 27

Tuni violence: police file FIR against 27:

• B.V.S. BHASKAR
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• • 
    M.M. Pallam Raju
  • 
    Botcha Satyanarayana
  • 
    Kanna Lakshiminarayana

  Mudragada Padmanabham, Pallam Raju, Botcha Satyanarayana, Kanna Lakshminarayana figure in it

  The Tuni police on Wednesday booked cases against former Minister and Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham, former Union Minister M.M. Pallam Raju, Rajya Sabha member V. Hanumnatha Rao (Congress), former Ministers Botcha Satyanarayana (YSR Congress), Vatti Vasanta Kumar (Congress), Kanna Lakshminarayana (BJP), B.V.Ch. Mohan Rao, and 20 others.

  According to Inspector of Police Appa Rao, FIR was filed against 27 persons who were associated with the Kapu Garjana meeting in Velama Kothuru of Tuni mandal and the subsequent arson and assault.

  The police collected evidence such as video footage, eyewitnesses, and other vital clues before filing FIR, he said.

  Unfortunate: DGP

  Director-General of Police J.V. Ramudu, meanwhile, said that the indent was unfortunate. “We are trying to ascertain the facts and will take action against those involved in the arson and assault.”

  When asked what preventive steps the police would take in view of Thursday evening deadline set by Mr. Padmanabam for his proposed fast along with his wife in Kirlampudi from Friday morning, the DGP said: “We are taking all precautions to see that the police should not be blamed again.”

  He said he did not have specific statistics on deployment of forces in the wake of the proposed fast.

  Earlier, Mr. Ramudu, on the sidelines of a meeting that lasted for over five hours, viewed video clippings of the entire public meeting, destruction of bogies of Ratnachal Express, attack on police stations, and subsequent arson and assault on police.

  Towards the end of the meeting, he called the police personnel who were injured in the incident and spoke to them in an attempt to ascertain the facts. He assured them of putting all the facts before the Chief Minister and see that they were adequately compensated.

  After the press meet, he left for Tuni to take stock of the situation. He was also expected to visit Kirlampudi in the night.

  The DGP is learnt to have discussed the strategy with his immediate subordinates and the local police officials, including East Godavari SP Ravi Prakash, Rajamahendravaram SP S. Harikrishna, and others on the deadline set by Mr. Padmanabham and the possible outcome of FIR.

• I have surrendered my weapon: Mudragada

• B.V.S. BHASKAR
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    Mudragada Padmanabham denies having instigated people or planned to torch train or attack police stations.
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  “I am branded as an impulsive man. In the wake of rumours that I may use my licensed revolver to shoot myself, I decided to surrender the weapon in the local police station,” says former Minister and Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham.

  Speaking to The Hindu on Wednesday over phone from Kirlampudi, he said: “I have a fighting spirit and I want justice for people of my community. Both me and my wife are ready to sacrifice our lives for the benefit of lakhs of underprivileged people, who have been starving for years,” he said.

  Mr. Padmanabham has set Thursday evening as deadline for the State Government to release G.O. including Kapus in the list of Backward Castes and another G.O. releasing of Rs.1,900 crore for the newly-established Kapu Welfare Corporation.

  Mr. Mudragada said he would not apply for bail and his supporters also would follow suit.

  He alleged that when the meeting was in progress on Sunday, a few anti-social elements barged in after breaking the doors of a make-shift guesthouse where his wife was staying and tried to assault her.

  When his attention was drawn to the injuries sustained by a few media persons in his public meeting and damages caused to their cameras, Mr. Padmanabham offered his apologies. He said neither he nor any of his community leaders had instigated people or planned to torch the train or attack police stations.

  “It’s a plot by some people in the ruling TDP government. I had never spoken to YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy about Kapu Ikya Garjana meeting,” he reiterated.

Rajamahendravaram set to join big league

•  B.V.S. BHASKAR

Regional offices of three national institutes under Minister of Commerce to come up soon

The city will soon house three regional offices of different national institutes under the Ministry of Commerce. A team led by Ojha, Joint secretary, Commerce, along with Director of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade Ravi Sankar (New Delhi) and Mumbai-based N.C. Saha of the Indian Institute of Packing Technology, visited Rajamahendravaram Revenue Division on Monday and Tuesday to locate suitable places for commerce and industrial promotion.

Sub-Collector Vijaya Krishnan took the team first to Nidigatla village of Korukonda mandal and then to Diwancheruvu under Rajanagaram mandal.

Mr. Ojha and other two officials also visited Jeugurpadu village in Kadiyam mandal. The government land is available in all three places to establish the regional offices of the central institutes.

“They are looking for a 100 acres of land to run an academy to promote and support the needs of commerce and industry by starting diploma and MBA courses in different subjects. It will be one of the premier institutes with 100 per cent placement in all industries,” added Ms. Krishnan.