Steel plant issue: Cops shift fasting TDP MLC to hospital, MP

Police today forcibly shifted Telugu Desam MLC M Ravindranath Reddy, who has been on an indefinite fast since June 20, to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences at Kadapa as his health 'deteriorated'.

Reddy was taken from the protest site at the Zilla Parishad office in Kadapa to the hospital, police said.

Reddy and Rajya Sabha member C M Ramesh have been on fast for the past eight days demanding that the Centre immediately set up a steel plant in Kadapa district as per the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

Ramesh continued the protest.

Acting on the instructions of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, after Ravis health "deteriorated" on the eighth day of the fast, police came to the venue and shifted him to the hospital, sources said.

State HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, who visited the fasting leaders in the afternoon, informed the TDP leadership here about Ravi's failing health as he lost over eight kg since the launch of the fast.

The minister said Ravi needed emergency medical care as doctors indicated that his "BP and sugar has reached alarming levels."