Andhra Pradesh: Land pool objectors face arson attack, crops and fodder set ablaze

Vijayawada: In a shockingly unprecedented incident, unidentified persons set afire crops and fodder of farmers who were against land pooling in Andhra Pradesh capital region.

Many banana plantations, gardens, bamboo stocks and fodder belonging to farmers in six alleged anti-land pooling villages — Penumaka, Rayapudi, Undavalli, Lingayapalem, Uddandar-ayunipalem and Mandamon of Tadepalli and Thulluru mandals — were destroyed in the blaze.

Read: Telugu Desam, YSR Congress blame each other

The fires, which started at around 6.30 pm on Sunday, raged at 10 spots till 2.30 am on Monday in the six villages that are spread over 10 square kilometres, according to police.

Farmers told the police that fields of farmers belonging to the Reddy community were attacked and majority of the farmers including Penumaka sarpanch Kallam Panakala-reddy belong to the same community.

Farmers also alleged that they were targeted as they were against land pooling concept of state government. Bonam Sivashankar Reddy, Pallapolu Sambireddy, Kallam Narendra Reddy, Korlapolu Mallikarjuna Reddy, were among the victims.