Won't allow Naidu to sleep: Padmanabham

Kurnool: Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham said he would continue the agitation for reservations for the community till Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu fulfils his promise.

Speaking after meeting advocates, he said the agitation would be broad based on March 26 and statewide agitations would continue.

The Kapu leaders staged a one day sit-in on Sunday in the state highlighting the demands of the community particularly at a time when AP Assembly was about to assemble at Amaravati for the first time for the Budget Session.

Mr Padmanabham is spearheading the agitation for inclusion of Kapu, Balija, Telaga, Vaddera communities in the Backward Classes list to gain reservations in education, and employment for them.

Participating in a one day Kapu Balija Satyagraha Deeksha at a function hall in Kurnool on Sunday, Mr Padmanabham said, “We will not sleep until our goal is reached. Neither would we allow Chief Minister to sleep.”

He said he had “dragged the community to the roads” by promising reservations during the 2014 election campaign, Mr Padmanabham said till he fulfilled his promise “they have resolved to be on the roads.”

He said he was not averse to taking support from any leader to the cause including Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan but would not canvas for support. “If they want to support us, we would welcome them,” he said.

Alleging that Mr Naidu “traded in lies and falsehoods”, Mr Padmanabham said that it did not augur well for a man of his stature to renege on the promise given to the community.

In the name of appointing a commission to go into the issue of extending of reservation cover to Kapu community, the government was simply dodging the issue, he said.

He made it clear that Kapu Satyagraha Deeksha was not taken up at the behest of some political parties. “No party has asked us to do this. We have taken up the issue only to make Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu fulfil his promise given to us,” he asserted.