Former minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy on Wednesday called off
his hunger strike that he undertook from 1 November demanding statehood for Telangana.
Komatireddy's health deteriorated on the 9th day of his fast, and the doctors attending to him at the Nizam's Insitute Of Medical Sciences sounded an emergency alert.
Following the seriousness of his health condition, his family members and other leaders from the Telangana region convinced him to call off the fast.
He was offered lime juice by Chandramma, whose son M Yadireddy committed suicide in New Delhi on 21 July, demanding a separate Telangana.
In a media statement, Komatireddy said that he was withdrawing the fast following the
statement made by Congress In-Charge Of State Affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad that a decision on Telangana would be taken after 10 November. Azad had made this statement in New Delhi on Tuesday after meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Komatireddy also said that he was calling off the fast following the advice given by Congress MPs and MLAs, and doctors, over his deteriorating health.
However, he stated, he would continue his agitation for statehood until the government announces a decision on Telangana.
"I have suspended my fast temporarily, and have not withdrawn it completely," he stated.
The former minister thanked all sections of people, MPs, MLAs, associations, students and the media for expressing their support for his fast for statehood. (INN)