Jagan's indefinite hunger strike enters second day

YSR Congress Party Chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy continued his indefinite hunger strike against the creation of a separate state for Telangana for the second day on Sunday.

Earlier, expressing deep anguish over the arbitrary bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Reddy has blamed Congress President Sonia Gandhi for the "crisis" in the state and accused her of exploiting sentiments of people to pave way for Rahul Gandhi to become prime minister.

"Sonia Gandhi is responsible for the crisis in the state and she has been playing with the sentiments of the people with the singular motive of seeing to it that her son Rahul Gandhi is made Prime Minister," he told media at the Lotus Pond camp office where he began his indefinite fast on Saturday demanding the Centre to review its decision of bifurcating the State.

He further appealed to Sonia Gandhi to reconsider the decision, as creating a new state would badly affect the future generations of one region.

"The division is arbitrary in nature and does not address all issues that are bound to crop up after the bifurcation," he said.

"The motive of the division could be political but Delhi cannot play with the sentiments of the people of one region. I once again appeal to the Centre to roll back its decision on division," he said, adding that BJP should also take a call on the issue and stand up for a united state.

Reddy earlier said his party would approach the Supreme Court, and ask it to tell the Centre to withdraw its arbitrary decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh.

"Why is no one talking about Bodoland, Gorkhaland or Vidarbha? We will be definitely going to the Supreme Court in protest. We are looking forward for some help, because this kind of arbitrarily doing, it is not helpful for the country. People are splitting this country for the sake of votes and seats," he said.

Meanwhile, curfew has been clamped In Vizianagaram following violence with mobs indulging in large scale destruction and arson during their demonstrations opposing the union cabinet's decision to bifurcate the state.

The pro-united Andhra demonstrations turned violent on the second day yesterday of the 72-hour shutdown.