Agitating Telugu Desam and Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) members stalled proceedings of Andhra Pradesh Assembly demanding that the House immediately discuss the plight of farmers, forcing its adjournment for 15 minutes as soon as it began today.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti too staged a protest demanding that all cases booked against students in connection with the statehood agitation.
The TDP members stormed the Speaker’s podium and raised slogans denouncing the “arrest” of its President N. Chandrababu Naidu and about 80 legislators yesterday while they were fighting for the farmers’ cause. They also lashed out at the government for remaining indifferent to the misery of farmers who were hit very hard by nature’s fury over the last one year.
The TDP MLAs criticised the government for shying away from discussing the farmers’ issue in the state Assembly during the ongoing winter session.
The PRP too joined the protest and demanded that a discussion on the farmers’ plight be taken up in the House immediately.
As the din continued, Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar adjourned the proceedings for 15 minutes. Earlier, the TDP and the Left parties legislators, led by Chandrababu Naidu, came to the Assembly in a ‘padayatra’ (footmarch) from Goshamahal stadium where they were detained since last evening.
Mr. Chandrababu announced that he would launch a fast-unto-death from December 17 if the government failed to do justice to farmers, weavers and other artisans who sustained heavy losses because of inclement weather.
He set December 16 as deadline for the government to concede his demands.
CPM State Secretary B. V. Raghavulu and CPI Secretary K. Narayana expressed solidarity with Mr. Chandrababu and extended their parties’ support to the agitation.
“We too shall step up the agitation across the state till the government takes care of the distressed farmers,” they said.
On the other hand, PRP MLAs staged a dharna at Gun Park in front of the Assembly on the farmers’ issue.
