Fishermen, who have been staging dharna at Gandhi Statue near GVMC, demanding that their community be included in the ST list, tried to stage a protest near the venue where the three-day women entrepreneurs’ conference on innovation, incubation and industrialisation organised by the Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India (ALEAP) in association with the State government, was inaugurated by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu here on Wednesday.
The protesters were led by Yanam MLA Malladi Krishna Rao.
The protesters holding placard tried to occupy beach road outside the venue, but were convinced the by police to move away.
The protesters then moved away to the beach and staged a silent protest in knee deep water, holding placards. Malladi Krishna Rao said Mr. Chandrababu Naidu had promised to include the fishermen in the ST list during the run-up to the 2014 Assembly elections and has conveniently forgotten it. Fishermen community is the most economically backward community in the country and it is high time that they be included in the ST list, so that they benefit from the schemes, he said.
