Farmers Movement Archive

Rallies in support of bandh held in dists

Hyderabad: It was an encore of the Telangana statehood agitation days for TRS cadre as they resorted to staging protests against the Centre’s farm laws and in support of agitating farmers in Delhi. Reminiscent of the innovative methods adopted to demand a separate Telangana state, TRS cadre resorted to the famous ‘Vanta Vaarpu’ programme of cooking on the road for those taking part in the agitation. Panchayat raj minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao participated in the cooking and also protests. Dayakar Rao was in TDP during the agitation, but joined TRS in 2016 after the party came to power in 2014 afer the formation of Telangana. Agriculture minister S Nirajan Reddy, who participated in the protests, also sat with the protesters for a meal served under the open sky. For police, it was a matter of carrying out some formalities as they removed the ministers from the scene where they were protesting. Women and child development minister Sathyavathi Rathod courted arrest in Mahbubabad, where she and TRS leaders took out a rally and staged a dharna. Some woman police personnel led her away, putting an end to her protests. But later, a video surfaced showing the minister and other TRS leaders sitting and chatting with police and watching television. Dayakar Rao too was removed in a police vehicle from where he was protesting and taken to a local police station where he also watered the plants. Sangareddy legislator T Jayaprakash Reddy of Congress, who staged a demonstration in support of agitating farmers, ‘cooperated’ with police as he showed no resistance in being put in a police vehicle and driven away. Most of those participating in the agitation, including health minister E Rajendar, took out bullock cart rallies and bike rallies. In Karimnagar, BJP workers questioned TRS leaders and minister Koppula Eashwar on why they were protesting when farmers in Telangana were not being given remunerative prices for their produce by the TRS government. Police intervened and took away BJP workers from the place. At some places, there were differences among TRS workers. In Medak, a section of TRS workers at Toopran were miffed that photographs of their leaders, who were with the party since its formation, were missing.

The Times of India

2020-12-09

Hyderabad