Jubilant over the Bharatiya Janata Party’s backing of their court to temple march, farmers from Amaravati resumed their march to Tirumala amid intermittent showers from Gudlur in Prakasam district on Saturday.
Holding colourful umbrellas, 157 farmers from Amaravati walked on the waterlogged roads in some stretches following the downpour. Leading the march, Amaravati Parirakshana Samiti Convenor A. Siva Reddy said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement to drop the three farm laws augured well for them.
He described the BJP’s support to the Nyayasthanam to Devasthanam Mahapadayatra as a shot in the arm for troubled Amaravati farmers who had parted with their small pieces of land for a world-class capital, and said the BJP-led Government at the Centre was sympathetic to their cause.
Chief Minister Y.S.Jagan Mohan Reddy too had no option but to give up its capital trifurcation division in the wake of 700-plus days of struggle and the yatra in the last 20 days, or incur the wrath of the people, he opined.
BJP leaders including former Union Ministers D. Purandeswari and State President Somu Veerraju would take part in the long march on Sunday, he said.
Former MLAs Pothula Rama Rao and Ugra Narasimha Reddy were among those who joined the padayatra on Saturday.
Moved by the plight of farmers including women, local people, showered flower petals on them in among other villages MKogalur, Chinnapavani and Chinnalatrapi and offered them food and water with love and affection.
The walkers also got a rousing reception when the long march reached Rajavari Chintalapalem in SPSR Nellore district after covering a distance of 18 km for night halt. TDP leaders from SPSR Nellore district Abdul Azeez and Beeda Ravichandra offered to extend all support to the walkers in the next 20 days.
