Expressing solidarity with the nation-wide farmers' strike against the new farm laws, representatives of various organisations under the banner of Andhra Pradesh Akhila Paksha Rythu Porata Samanvaya Committee, took to streets in the city on Friday.
Raising slogans against what they called ‘black laws’ that would further exploit the farmers and threaten the food security of the country, the protesters marched from Sri Sri Bhavan and reached Bandar Road via Praja Vaidyasala Road.
They demanded that the new agricultural laws brought in by the Modi government at Centre be revoked and instead laws on loan waiver and remunerative price for the farmers be formulated. They also condemned the police attack on farmers protesting at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for the same cause.
“The most unfortunate thing here is that there has been no consultation with farmer organisations regarding these draconian laws which will reduce farmers to labourers in their own lands,” lamented a senior leader.
On Bandar Road, the protesters, led by former Minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, Y. Kesava Rao, M. Suryanarayana, V. Srinivasa Rao, Ch. Babu Rao, Ravula Venkaiah, Yalamanda Rao, P. Jamalaiah, V. Venkateswarlu and others, were stopped by the police.
Mild tension
There was mild tension when the police personnel jostled with the leaders trying to prevent them from going ahead with their protest rally. The leaders resisted the police force and squatted on the ground raising slogans.
The police parked their vehicles across the road, obstructing the protesters from moving ahead and took them into custody.
Many leaders condemned the behaviour of Governorpet CI Krishna Babu accusing him of catching senior leaders by their collar and using abusive language against the protesters. The arrested leaders were shifted to the Governorpet police station and were released by afternoon.
