The visit of Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) chairman M. Kodandaram to a few agriculture market yards in the erstwhile Nalgonda district on Friday to enquire about the support price and other problems being faced by farmers turned tense as the activists of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) tried to obstruct his visit.
Mr. Kodandaram and six others of JAC were arrested by police at Palair on Suryapet - Khammam highway while on their way to Khammam market yard after their visits in Nalgonda and left in Hyderabad in police vehicles.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were imposed in Khammam police commissionerate limits from 6 pm on Friday up to May 12 in the aftermath of the violent protests by farmers at the local market yard, police said.
However, support extended to Mr. Kodandaram by a section of farmers who were there in the market yards with their farm produce, particularly paddy, by raising slogans in his support and against the State Government resulted in jostling between them and TRS activists, who questioned the intent of the former’s visit.
The TJAC Chairman visited Bhongir, Mothkur, Tirumalagiri and Suryapet market yards and examined the process of paddy purchases by the State Civil Supplies Corporation to maintain support price to the farm produce in the open market. But, Mr. Kodandaram along with other TJAC leaders faced opposition from the ruling party activists first at the Mothkur market yard when TRS activists tried to obstruct his entry into the market yard itself.
Mr. Kodandaram interacted with farmers after the police personnel, who were present there, sent off the TRS activists but they tried to obstruct his convoy again when he was leaving the market yard. The police had to intervene again to ensure passage of the convoy.
A section of farmers who went to market yards to dispose of their produce, mainly paddy, supported the JAC team at Motkur and Tirumalagiri market by raising slogans in support of Mr. Kodandaram and against the State Government. The scenes led to jostling between them and TRS activists.
Tension prevailed at Suryapet market yard also as slogans supporting the Chief Minister on one side and Mr. Kodandaram on the other rent the air. The police pacified both sides after which Mr. Kodandaram was headed for Khammam.
