In spite of a significant deterioration in his health, the 60-year-old Mr. Naidu said he would not call off his protest till the demands of farmers were conceded. After he was shifted to the NIMS amid high drama, the TDP president refused to accept treatment from doctors and rejected the appeal by Health Minister D.L. Ravindra Reddy’s to call off the fast.
The drama began unfolding when a heavy posse of police reached the New MLA Quarters, the venue, after a team of doctors led by Care Hospitals chairman B. Soma Raju checked Mr. Naidu and declared his health condition to be precarious. The intentions of the police, equipped in riot gear, were clear as they blocked the entry of vehicles and ejected party workers.
Police swooped down on the place at around 4.30 a.m. and physically lifted Mr. Naidu, who fell down as he resisted their attempts to bundle him into a waiting ambulance. He suffered minor bruises as his head hit the roof of the vehicle. His son, Lokesh, had his shirt torn in a scuffle with the police when he tried to obstruct the latter.