Tension prevailed at the district headquarters for some time when former whip T. Jayaprakash Reddy tried to go for ‘Chalo Assembly’ programme called by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) and stopped by the police on Friday.
Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy, who is popular for gathering huge masses for such programmes, commenced ‘Chalo Assembly’ programme from Rama Mandir. The party cadre raised slogans against Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Soon after that he was arrested by the police and shifted to the police station at Indrakaran in Kandi mandal.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy alleged that Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao had failed to keep his promises and farmers’ suicides have been continuing after formation of Telangana State and despite the ‘Golden Telangana’ promise made by the ruling party.
“It took three years for the Government to waive farm loan which had to be waived off in a single stroke. Farmers are not getting remunerative price despite repeated appeals. Banks are not extending loans to farmers thereby forcing them to go for borrowing from private lenders.
“Sometimes farmers do not get loans even from them,” he said adding that the Government was not giving any opportunity for the Opposition to raise farmers’ issues in the Assembly. He said that the part has taken up the programme to highlight the fate of farmers in the State.
The former MLA recalled how the Congress party waived off ₹1 lakh loan for farmers in a single stroke.
At Siddipet about 100 Congress party workers were taken into custody on Thursday and Friday. They were kept in different police stations.
In a similar way the police have taken about 68 ration dealers into custody as part of preventing them from attending an agitation at Hyderabad.
Nizamabad Special Correspondent writes:
Police took a number of Congress cadre into preventive custody on Friday in view of their party’s ‘chalo Assembly’ call on the issues of farmers across the district and set them free this afternoon.
Among those who were picked up at their homes included TPCC general secretary Gadugu Gangadhar, DCC president Taher Bin Hamdan, general secretary R. Dayakar Goud, party town president Badsi Shekar, Rama Goud and Amruthapur Gangadhar. They were lodged in different police stations.
Reports said 10 to 20 Congress workers in each mandal were arrested. About 70 persons in Bodhan, 100 in Nizamabad, 30 in Armoor and an equal number in Kamareddy were taken into custody. Thus, the police foiled their attempt to leave for Hyderabad for taking part in ‘chalo Assembly’.
Party minority department district president Sumeer Ahmed and NSUI president Vipul Goud were taken into custody at Armoor and Nizamabad bus-stands respectively, said DCC president Taher Bin Hamdan. They were released on execution of personal bonds.
