After successfully preventing the veteran Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham from going ahead with his agitational programmes on couple of times, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naiduis is now seems to be making attempts for a dialogue with him. Till now the Chief Minister has been avoiding any direct communication with him.

First, when he was on indefinite fast, the Chief Minister persuaded him through some legislators. Finally two ministers were present to make him withdraw his fast. Later on two occasions, the government prevented him from conducting `padayatra’ by keeping him under `house arrest’. Once, when he was on the fast at a hospital, BJP MLA Satyanarayana negotiated with him.

Now, Padmanabham himself revealed that he had received feelers from two ministers through `an elderly person’ for direct talks with Chandrababu Naidu. However, he said that he would discuss the contentious issue of inclusion of Kapus in the list of Backward Classes with Naidu only if he got a proper invitation. He also made it clear that though he is ready for a dialogue, he would not compromise on his principal demand.

The former minister deplored that though he had been fighting for the cause for the last 14 months, the State government was trying to discredit the movement by branding it a political campaign.

He pointed out that Chandrababu Naidu government has been targeting Kapu leaders by getting criminal cases filed against them in different police stations for questioning its inaction on promises it made during poll campaign. He took strong objection that the police were not giving permission for even peaceful protests such rallies and padayatras.

Referring to repeated accusations of the government by linking Kapu movement with Tuni violence, Mudragada challenged the government to prove the involvement of Kapu leaders in the Tuni train burning incident.