Lagadapati escapes as 200 cops watch

The fasting Vijayawada MP, Mr Lagadapati Rajagopal, escaped from the Vijayawada Government Hospital in full view of almost 200 police personnel and dozens of admirers.

The MP, whose fast entered the sixth day on Sunday, came to the ground floor of the hospital from his first floor ward, boarded a Qualis vehicle and drove out at about 10.45 pm. Witnesses said five more vehicles followed it.

Mr Rajagopal was expected to be shifted to a corporate hospital at Mangalagiri, 15 km from Vijayawada, and seemed to have taken advantage of the uncertainty. No one stopped the convoy as he drove out.

It was only when the convoy did not reach the Mangalagiri hospital at 11.30 pm that police realised the MP had given them the slip. Amidst allegations that he had been allowed to escape, the police sounded a red alert for Mr Rajagopal and launched a hunt to find him.

The government hospital is located on the national highway that leads to Visakhapatnam on one side and to Hyderabad on the other. Police searched the hospital as well, thinking he could be hiding there, but could not find the MP.

Mr Rajagopal had been shifted to the government hospital on Thursday and the government had refused to shift him to the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (Nims) fearing disturbances.

He had vociferously protested the “rude behaviour of the police” and the “biased attitude” of the government against the united Andhra agitation in the coastal districts and Rayalaseema. He had refused to take medicine and call off his fast.

Meanwhile, additional security forces are being rushed to the districts as the condition of elected representatives who are on a fast-unto-death for a united Andhra Pradesh is turning critical.

The Hyderabad police commissioner, Mr B. Prasada Rao, said, “We have no instructions from the government so far to shift the leaders who are on hunger strike to Nims. There are 30 platoons of additional forces available in the city. We are prepared to thwart any untoward incidents.”

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) asked the government to consider shifting MLC Mr Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, and MLA, Mr D. Umamaheswara Rao, Nims.

Dr N. Suneetha, daughter of Mr Vivekananda Reddy, in an appeal to the SHRC, had said that her father is suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and requires medical care. She said there was no facility in Kadapa and he should be shifted to Nims.

A student identified as Mr Chandrasekhar who set himself on fire protesting the arrest of Mr Vivekananda Reddy succumbed to burns at Ruia Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) in Kadapa. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams board member, Mr Ch. Bhaskara Reddy, who is on hunger strike in jail, was shifted to Rims, Tirupati. He was earlier arrested on the charge of being involved in violence.

In another case, a lawyer, Mr B. Venkateswara Rao complained to the SHRC that Krishna and Vijayawada administration is indifferent to the health of Mylavaram MLA Mr D. Umamaheswara Rao who started his fast-unto-death on December 13.

“Mr Umamaheswara Rao may slip into coma and the circumstances warrant he be shifted from Vijayawada hospital to Nims in Hyderabad,” Mr B.V. Rao said. Responding to the petition, the SHRC gave directions to consider the plea of shifting Mr Umamaheswara Rao to Nims. On Saturday, Mr Rao was admitted to the intensive care unit at Vijayawada General Hospital, but when his blood pressure began to fluctuate he was moved to the NRI general hospital near Mangalgiri in Guntur district on Sunday.

Together with him, the former mayor, Ms P. Anuradha, and a Telugu Desam activist, Mr Papaiah Chowdary, were also shifted. Mr Umamaheswara Rao has refused to call off the stir till the Union government scraps the decision for a separate state of Telangana. The TD is angry that the MLA and the other two leaders have not been admitted to Nims. The government has bluntly refused their demand citing law and order problems.

The MLC and the TD leader, Mr. Y. Babu Rajendra Prasad, accused the government of bias. He said that the state government had shifted Telangana Rastra Samiti chief, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, to Nims when his condition deteriorated, but was ignoring the health of TD leaders agitating in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions.