The Congress party appealed to the Governor, E.S.L. Narasimhan, to order the release of all the chilli farmers arrested in Khammam and ensure withdrawal of all criminal proceedings initiated against them.
A delegation of the Congress led by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy met the Governor on Friday and condemned handcuffing the farmers accused under false sections, as if they were criminals.
He said the entire Telangana was shocked seeing the images of farmers in handcuffs and it reflected the “repressive and dictatorial tactics” used by the present government against any form of protest.
Mr. Reddy said the Governor too expressed displeasure over the treatment of farmers and promised to take up the issue with the government.
The Congress delegation comprised of senior leaders Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Shabbir Ali, J. Geetha Reddy, Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, K.R. Suresh Reddy, Gudur Narayana Reddy, K. Nagaiah and Nerella Sharada.
In the memorandum submitted to the Governor, Mr. Reddy said the TRS government was harassing farmers, whose main objective and demand was fair price for their produce. “It refuses to recognise the justifiable demand of farmers for fair price, reflecting the cost of cultivation.”
“The Chief Minister doesn’t want to allocate ₹1,000 crore and buy agricultural products at a price that make agriculture a viable proposition. Instead, he spends hundreds of crores on his official residence, cars, buses, foreign travel in charter jets.”
Mr. Reddy questioned the reluctance of the Chief Minister to visit the agricultural market yards and interact with the farmers. He has not visited a single family of 3,000-odd farmers who have lost their bread winner to suicides? “Have the Telangana CM and the Ministers become so insensitive that they are accusing genuine farmers in distress of being rowdies and anti-national?” he asked. He blamed poor governance, fake seeds and market syndication apart from failure of monsoon and unseasonal rains for the present situation. “The Telangana government failed to release relief funds of ₹989 crore on time and in full.”
