A day after politically influential Kapus unleashed violence in parts of Andhra Pradesh, the man leading the stir on Monday threatened an indefinite fast from Friday for inclusion of the caste in the OBC category, while a person from the community allegedly killed himself over the quota issue.
Mudragada Padmanabham, the agitation leader, told reporters at his residence in Kirlampudi in East Godavari district after a meeting with community leaders that he and his wife would undertake an indefinite fast from Friday.
Apprehending arrest by authorities, who might try to "disrupt" the agitation, the former Minister declared, "Nothing will deter me from going on fast and I am prepared to continue it even in jail."
Kapus are a politically influential community, particularly in coastal districts.
Amid demand for reservation for Kapus, a man allegedly committed suicide in the East Godavari Collectorate building at district headquarters town of Kakinada demanding quotas for the community and special category status for Andhra Pradesh.
Forty-five-year-old C H V Murthy hung himself from a dish antenna at Bennet Club in the Collectorate.
"A letter was found in his pocket which said he is ending his life for non-inclusion of Kapu community in Backward Classes list, as also Central government not according special category status to Andhra Pradesh", Police Inspector (Special Branch), Kakinada, V Srinivas, told PTI by telephone.
Murthy belonged to Kapu community but had no "political background", he said, adding, he was a TV mechanic by profession and a resident of Kakinada.
His suicide comes a day after violence broke out in Tuni in East Godavari district where a public meeting was organised to demand reservation for the community.The meeting, "Kapu Aikya Garjana", was convened by Padmanabham.
After the meeting, thousands of protesters blocked rail and road traffic, torched a train and a police station, besides targeting a number of vehicles. At least 15 policemen were injured in the violence.