Sushilkumar Shinde describes Chandrababu Naidu's fast as "strange"

NEW DELHI: The indefinite hunger strike being held by TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu at Andhra Bhavan here was today termed "strange" by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde who said this was perhaps the first time that a former Chief Minister was holding a fast on a state guest house premises.

"Ye ajeeb tarah ka andolan hain (This is a strange kind of agitation). For the first time, I am seeing someone using the premises of a state guest house for a fast," he told reporters when asked whether the Centre would intervene to evict Naidu from the Andhra Bhavan premises.

Refusing to get into the ongoing tussle between Andhra Pradesh government and Naidu over the site of his fast, Shinde said the state government should approach a civil court with a complaint of trespassing.

"If there is a court order, then we can help," he said. Appealing to Naidu to call off his strike and return to AP, Shinde said TDP had categorically conveyed to the Centre its support for the creation of a separate Telangana state and that view was given due weightage.

The former AP Chief Minister began his indefinite fast on Monday in protest against the proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

He has accused Congress of playing politics in view of next year's Lok Sabha polls.

Resident Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh, Shashank Goel, has served a notice to the TDP Chief stating that the hunger strike is "unauthorised" on the premises as permission was granted only for a press meet at the venue.

Goel has also requested the Union Home Secretary to get the premises vacated through Delhi Police.

In a letter, Goel requested Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami to ask Delhi Police to take the necessary action required to remove the "unauthorised" dharna by Naidu at Andhra Bhavan.

Delhi Police comes directly under the control of the Union Home Ministry.

Naidu, whose fast entered its fourth day today, however, remained defiant.