Khammam: Taking exception to the manner in which protesting chilli farmers were handcuffed by police, opposition parties in the state have demanded an apology from Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for his alleged anti-farmer policy.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has strongly condemned the police’s action against farmers, who were demand remunerative prices for their chilli produce.
“The TRS government has committed a grave mistake by handcuffing farmers, who are accused in a case pertaining to protest at the Khammam Market Yard. Poor farmers had staged a protest demanding a remunerative price for their crop. Instead of accepting their demand, the government has registered criminal cases against them and put them behind bars,” Mr Reddy said.
Questioning the logic behind handcuffing them, Mr Reddy said: “It is highly shocking that the farmers were brought to the court handcuffed. Are they terrorists or extremists? What is the message that the TRS government is trying to convey by handcuffing the poor farmers? Is it trying to say that anyone who holds protest against the TRS government will be considered a hardcore criminal?”
In an open letter to the Chief Minister, Telugu Desam working president A Revanth Reddy said that the real nature of the government’s policy towards the farmers has come to the fore with this act.
“It is nothing but devilish act and the government is getting satisfied by handcuffing the farmers,” he said, adding that it is the first time in the country that the government filed sedition cases against farmers. No farmer is happy with the TRS rule. Instead of providing remunerative prices for their produce, the government is sending them to jail,” the TS TD chief said.
The party activists of CPI burnt the effigy of the Chief Minister at Yellandu Cross Roads for handcuffing the farmers.
CPI state deputy secretary K. Sambasiva Rao said “The act of police is a humiliation to the Telang-ana, which emerged with several struggles”.
The farmers led by Sattupalli MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah staged a dharna in Sattupalli, Vem-soor, Tallada and Kallur in protest against the handcuffing of the farmers.
Farmers get conditional bail
The farmers, who were in Khammam sub-jail for 12 days for allegedly ransacking the chilli market, have been released on a conditional bail on Thursday.
The SC and ST Court Judge Jnaneswar heard the arguments of the government and the defense lawyers’ team in the case and issued the conditional bail.
The court has ordered them to pay Rs 10,000 deposit and sign in the register in three-town police station every Sunday.
The court granted the bail after the completion of hearing on three charge-sheets filed against them. A team of defense counsels led by Jammula Sarat Kumar Reddy and Kolli Satyanarayana argued the case on behalf of the farmers. Interestingly, about 62 lawyers submitted bail applications on behalf of the farmers.
About ten farmers, including N Anand Rao, Nelluri Venkateswarlu, Sattu Kondaiah, Islavat Babu, Bhukya Ashok, Bhukya Narasimha Rao, Bhukya Srinu, Banothu Saidulu, Tejavath Bhava Singh and Boanothu Upe-nder have been arrested in the case on the basis of a complaint lodged by Kha-mmam Market Committee deputy secretary Palak-urty Prasada Rao. They were charged under 147, 148, 353, 427, 448, 120 (B), red with 149 under IPC of 3 and 4 of PDPP Act, 1984.
The family members of the farmers expressed happiness after their release. “We were worried about the arrest for the last 12 days. My husband who went to market to sell our chilli produce, was sent to jail,” said B. Jyothi, the wife of a farmer.
