Former Congress MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy said it would be a mistake to let the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh continue, as it did not care about public interest involved in the issues such as tuition fees reimbursement scheme.
Jagan, who was on a week-long fast to press the demand that the state government provide funds for fee reimbursement scheme, slammed the government for letting down 25 lakh students and their families. "Such a shameless government does not exist anywhere. About Rs 6,800 crore are required to clear current dues and for the next academic year. We will be making a mistake in the eyes of God if we let this government continue," he said, speaking after calling off the fast at Indira Park in Hyderabad.
Demanding that the government make changes in the budget and provide the required funds for fees reimbursement, he threatened to intensify the agitation over the issue. He ended the hunger strike today by sipping lemon juice, offered by the mother of the girl Varalakshmi, who allegedly committed suicide as she could not pay the colleges fees.
About 20 MLAs, most of them from Congress, and Congress MP M Rajamohan Reddy called on Jagan during his week-long fast. The state government owes around Rs 3,400 crore in tuition fees to colleges, under the reimbursement scheme.
It has released Rs 1,000 crore toward the dues, but managements of professional colleges had threatened to close down the institutes if the government failed to release at least 50 percent of the sum.
The Supreme Court has directed the state to clear the dues by July 15 this year. Though police requested Jagan twice -- yesterday and day before -- to end the fast, he declined to do so.
Leaders from Jagan's camp criticised the government for not sending a minister or any other representative to meet him.
Several ministers called on Telugu Desam Chief N Chandrababu Naidu when he undertook a fast earlier but government tried to play down Jagan's fast as it was afraid of his popularity, MLA Konda Surekha and other Jagan-loyalists claimed.
Image: Jaganmohan Reddy sips juice to break his fast | Photograph: Snaps India
