Congress senior leader and former chief whip Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy said he was undertaking a 24-hour hunger strike at Ekasila Park on Wednesday, in protest against the indifferent attitude of the State government towards chilli farmers.
Mr Reddy was arrested on Tuesday when he tried to proceed towards Enumamula market to interact with farmers. He was released later.
Speaking to the media, he said they have tried their best to draw the attention of the State government and rescue chilli farmers who are being exploited by the traders. “Opposition leaders are being arrested and put in police stations? Even farmers are being booked in false cases? We want to go the Gandhian way and hence hunger strike,” he said.
Why cordon
The Congress leader sought to know from Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao why the entire police force was mobilised around Enumamula market and why leaders were prevented from meeting farmers?
He said the TRS leaders should feel ashamed as the farmers were demanding reasonable price fro their produce. Many farmers are in distress and may resort to drastic measures like suicide, he warned . “Farmers have sought our support in their just demand for better price and this this government is arresting us for backing them,” Mr Ramana Redy said.
