Hyderabad, Dec 3 (IANS) Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao Thursday continued his fast unto death demanding a separate state of Telangana as the Andhra Pradesh government geared up to tackle the violent protests in the region.
Rao, who is in judicial custody till Dec 12, was shifted from Khammam town to a hospital here early Thursday in view of his deteriorating condition. He was continuing his hunger strike despite failing health.

Massive security arrangements have been made at the Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), where KCR, as Rao is popularly known, is admitted. A large number of TRS workers had gathered outside to know the condition of their leader.

Senior leaders of the ruling Congress party from Telangana region and BJP state president Bandaru Dattatreya called on KCR at the hospital.

The TRS politburo, which met here, decided to intensify its movement by staging protests outside the residences of leaders of other parties from Saturday, demanding support to the Telangana movement.

In the first sign of tackling the violent protests across the region, the state government declared holidays for 15 days for all colleges and universities in Telangana from Friday with students taking the movement in their hands.

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, who is on a visit to Delhi, told a news conference that reports of Maoists entering the Telangana movement were being verified. He appealed to KCR to call off his fast and said he had no objection to meeting him. However, he said the central government would take the decision on the demand for a separate state.

A team of doctors headed by NIMS director Prasada Rao is attending on KCR. He was shifted to Hyderabad early Thursday amid tight security. This followed repeated requests by the TRS and directions from the State Human Rights Commission.

TRS ideologue Jayashankar told reporters that KCR was running high temperature and had become weak due to the fasting.

Another TRS leader E. Rajender threatened to lay siege on the homes of Congress leaders if the government failed to give a categorical assurance on separate statehood.

Alarmed by the growing unrest in the region, Rosaiah sent Labour Minister R. Venkat Reddy to Khammam to hold talks with KCR, who said he would speak only to those who could take a decision on the statehood demand.

The TRS has demanded that KCR be released and all cases against him withdrawn.

The TRS chief was arrested near Karimnagar town on Sunday ahead of his fast unto death at Siddipet. He was taken to Khammam, where a local court sent him to judicial custody for 14 days.

The Mahabubnagar MP launched the hunger strike in Khammam sub-jail but was shifted to a local hospital after his condition started deteriorating. He broke the fast Monday evening after suicides by three TRS supporters and violent protests rocked the region. He resumed the fast the next day after supporters staged protests against him for calling off the fast.

Protests continued in Telangana, comprising 10 districts including Hyderabad. For the fifth consecutive day, students in Osmania University here and other universities in the region took out rallies expressing solidarity with KCR.

Students, lawyers, a section of doctors, government employees besides TRS workers staged protests, relay hunger strikes, rallies and road blockades in various districts.

Schools, colleges and other educational institutions remained shut in most parts of the region for the fourth day.

Protesters blocked traffic on Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway 9 at Nakrekal in Nalgonda district. They also damaged six buses of state-owned Road Transport Corporation.