Cops foil farmers’ stir, arrest 17

Police on early Friday morning, arrested 17 farmers and foiled the rythu deeksha (farmers’ hunger strike), barely two days after it was launched to demand profitable price for red jowar and turmeric, at the tahsil office in Armoor. They were later released on the execution of personal bonds.

A large number of farmers had staged deeksha at Mamidipally chowrasta on Wednesday, demanding the purchase of red jowar at ₹3,000 per quintal and turmeric at ₹10,000 a quintal.

Meanwhile, protesting the arrests and opposing the purchase price of ₹2,300 for a quintal red jowar as announced by Agriculture Minister P. Srinivas Reddy in Hyderabad, a group of farmers staged a

rasta roko on NH-44 at Bussapur in Mendora mandal on Friday.

After almost an hour, police convinced the protesters to withdraw the rasta roko.