Jagan urges parties not to politicise his yatra

HYDERABAD: On a day ahead of his 48hour deeksha at Armoor in Nizamabad district, YSR Congress president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday made a fervent appeal to political parties operating in the Telangana region not to politicise his protest.In a statement, he wanted the people of Telangana to understand that he was not against formation of a Telangana state and that he had made an announcement that he would not field candidates in by-elections in Telangana region in deference to the statehood movement.Jagan Mohan Reddy said that his deeksha was intended to draw the attention of the government to the unremitting agony of farmers. "I want the state government to announce support price for crops and hike input subsidy payable to farmers," he said, adding: "Farmers in 876 mandals are suffering on account of drought."The Kadapa MP came down on TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu for going back on his commitment to Telangana. "It was Chandrababu Naidu who did volteface on Telangana after saying that he was not against bifurcation of the state." Jagan said Naidu, during his nine-year rule, made the state suffer. "If farmers committed suicide it was because of the policies of Naidu. It was he who the hiked power tariff."