Jaganmohan Reddy continues fast in jail

YSR Congress party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy's indefinite fast in Chanchalguda Central Jail here entered its second day Monday. He is protesting the manner in which Congress decided to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh without doing justice to all the regions.

For the second consecutive, Jagan, as the MP from Kadapa is popularly known, did not eat anything.

The jail authorities Monday evening said Jagan's sugar and blood pressure levels were normal. Security was tightened around the jail as YSR Congress workers were reaching the jail to declare their support for their leader.

YSR Congress leaders have urged Sunil Kumar, inspector general, prison, to release a daily health bulletin about Jagan. A delegation of the leaders called on the officials and submitted a memorandum.

Jagan is in jail for more than a year in disproportionate assets case.

Meanwhile, Congress legislator and former state minister Mopidevi Venkatramna, who is also in judicial custody in the same case, has resigned as member of state assembly to protest state's bifurcation. Jail officials said they forwarded his resignation letter to assembly speaker.

Pro-Telangana political and non-political groups have criticized Jagan for undertaking the fast, saying this exposed his anti-Telangana stand.

A delegation of pro-Telangana lawyers demanded that Jagan be shifted to a jail outside Telangana.

The lawyers met Sunil Kumar and urged him to shift Jagan to a jail in Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra regions), where the protest against bifurcation continued for the 27th day Monday.

Government employees in Seemandhra were continuing their strike to protest Congress Working Committee's July 30 decision to carve out separate Telangana state. Buses of state-owned Road Transport Corporation also remained off the roads for 14th day.