Kapu leader Mudragada postpones 'Chalo Amaravati' padayatra after several failed attempts

Just last week, the Kapu leader slipped out of house arrest to launch his padayatra, only to be arrested again.
Kapu leader Mudragada postpones 'Chalo Amaravati' padayatra after several failed attempts
Kapu leader Mudragada postpones 'Chalo Amaravati' padayatra after several failed attempts
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Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham on Wednesday decided to postpone his 'Chalo Amaravati' padayatra till December 6, to give the Andhra Pradesh government time to meet his demands. 

Mudragada’s padayatra demanding BC status for the Kapu community in the state has been in suspended animation for nearly a month.

The padayatra was supposed to have kicked off on July 26, but it was foiled by the police who placed Mudragada on house arrest in view of the law and order situation.

On Wednesday, Kapu leaders met at Mudragada's residence at Kirlampudi in East Godavari district, and said that they were offering Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu some more time, to pass a resolution in the Legislative Assembly.

“We are fixing December 6 as the deadline for the government to meet our demand and postponing our agitation (padayatra) till that date. This does not mean we are succumbing to the pressure being exerted by the government. Now, I will be touring every district and meet members of the Kapu community," Mudragada told media persons.

"I'm committed to take up the protest in a peaceful manner, and also adhering to the guidelines issued by the police," he added.

Just last week, the Kapu leader slipped out of house arrest to launch his padayatra, only to be arrested again in a nearby village.

As a large number of supporters gathered in Kirlampudi, Mudragada managed to push past the tight security to launch his padayatra.

Together with his supporters and Kapu JAC leaders, Mudragada managed to march up to Veeravaram before he was arrested.

Police have justified preventing Mudragada’s padayatra and his house arrest on the grounds of violence that followed Kapu agitations in the past.

At the height of the Kapu agitation in January 2016, activists set fire to the Ratnachal Express at Tuni in East Godavari district.

Following this, the TDP government constituted the Manjunatha Commission to look into the issue. 

However, with the Commission's report delayed by a long period, Kapu leaders planned the 400-km padayatra that would cover the districts of East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur, before ending at Amaravati.

IANS inputs

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