Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday went on a hunger strike in Rajahmundry central jail to protest his arrest in the skill development scam, a statement from the party said.
TDP leaders, supporters and his family observed fasting during the day as well in solidarity with the imprisoned leader on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Naidu began his fast at 10 am and ended it at 5 pm. “Wearing a black badge, he sat on the fasting and registered a silent protest, after paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi,” his party said.
Outside the jail, Naidu’s wife Bhuvaneswari sat on a day-long fast at Quarry Centre in Rajahmundry. Hundreds of TDP workers joined her in the protest.
“Tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary today. Mahatma Gandhi’s life had a message for us all: that any battle, no matter how difficult, can be won if we uphold the principles of truth and justice. His enduring legacy, especially the Satyagraha, continues to inspire us to embrace the power of truth in all our endeavors,” Bhuvaneshwari said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
In New Delhi, Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh, along with party MPs, observed a fast at the residence of Rajya Sabha member Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar. Speaking to reporters after ending the fast in the evening, Lokesh expressed confidence that justice would prevail, saving party leaders from false charges.
{{/usCountry}}In New Delhi, Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh, along with party MPs, observed a fast at the residence of Rajya Sabha member Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar. Speaking to reporters after ending the fast in the evening, Lokesh expressed confidence that justice would prevail, saving party leaders from false charges.
{{/usCountry}}“Even great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela went to jail for the theories that they trusted, while Chandrababu Naidu was sent to jail for launching the skill development project to provide employment to the jobless,” he said.
Describing Naidu’s arrest as political vendetta, Lokesh said TDP will fight back. “We will certainly continue our struggle and we will bring before the public the evidence that we are not at all involved in any of these cases,” he said.
TDP Andhra Pradesh unit president K Atchannaidu, along with other leaders, observed a hunger strike at party headquarters in Mangalagiri in Guntur district.
Family members of TDP MLA and actor N Balakrishna also went on a daylong hunger strike at NTR Trust Bhavan in Hyderabad. Balakrishna’s wife Vasundhara and others were on fast to show solidarity with Naidu. Several other TDP leaders took up the fast at NTR Ghat in Hyderabad.