Protests continued in the Capital villages on the fifth day on Sunday, and the support for agitating farmers grew with students, lawyers, doctors and others participating in them.
A large number of protesters, including families from various villages, reached the area where the foundation stone had been laid for Amaravati by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and staged protests seeking the dropping of the plan to shift the Capital.
Some of the protesters sought the intervention of Mr. Modi as the State government did not responded to their pleas for justice till date.
They held placards and banners with the pictures of Mr. Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Doctors join chorus
Meanwhile, doctors belonging to various Capital villages joined the relay hunger strike by the farmers at Velagapudi village and extended their support.
They alleged that only the ruling party was against Amaravati and the fight against the decision should continue legally.
Students who joined the protests took out a rally from Mandadam village to the Secretariat at Velagapudi. They were stopped by the police, and some of them were detained.
Later in the evening, some farmers carrying black flags tried to climb the water tank at Velagapudi, but were held back by the police.
Novel protests
Novel protests such as ‘upside-down yogasana’ performed by a villager, and a garland of chappals carried by a man and others attracted the attention of the passersby.
Protesters also organised ‘Vanta Varpu’ programme.
At Thulluru, the villagers placed a boat across the road in protest against the government’s claim that the Capital was a flood-prone area.
Fight will continue: TDP
TDP leaders Prathipati Pulla Rao and Kollu Ravindra visited the protest camps and promised support to the villagers.
“Ours is a genuine demand. The government should think about the future of the farmers who gave land for the Capital. The fight against the decision will continue,” Mr. Ravindra said.
The G.N. Rao committee only reflected the views of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, he said, and added that the farmers were fighting irrespective of their party affiliations.
Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti founder Kamalananda Barathi also extended support to the protesters at Uddandarayunipalem.
He said Amaravati was the wish of five crore people of Andhra Pradesh. He said Capital development could not be stopped by any force and those who try to stop it would face the wrath of people in the future.
