3 days ago
Police stops farmers rally in Ongole district
The police personnel stopped 'Quit Corporation – Quit Agriculture' programme, organised by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and United Front of Trade Unions, at Mini Stadium in Ongole on Wednesday. The leaders of both organisations expressed ire over the issue and warned the government that it would face public anger if it tried to suppress protests with force.
As per the call given by National Joint Kisan Morcha, the leaders of A.P. Farmers' Association, All India Rythu Coolie Sangham, Kisan Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Congress Party, and various public organisations reached the Mini Stadium on Wednesday morning to hold a rally.
On knowing this, police inspectors Y. Nagaraju, M. Srinivasa Rao and M. Venkata Krishna arrived at the place with police personnel and stopped the rally. They announced that prior permission should be obtained to conduct such a rally as Section 30 of the Police Act hss been in force in the district. The SKM leaders urged the police officers to allow them to conduct the rally peacefully, however, the appeal went in vain.
The police officials warned that the rally would not be allowed and the protestors arrested if the rules were violated. The SKM leaders strongly condemned the obstruction of the rally and questioned how the programmes being undertaken by the ruling party were allowed when Section 30 was in force in the district.
SKM Prakasam district convener Chunduru Ranga Rao called the police personnel's act of blocking the rally a disgrace. 'It is wrong to obstruct agitations on public issues and farmers' issues in a democratic country,' he said.
A.P. Rythu Sangam district secretary Pamidi Venkata Rao questioned whether the Centre would waive off the farmers' loans in the State. He alleged that the Narendra Modi-led government had waived off loans worth ₹16 lakh crore to corporates, sold 2 lakh acres of cultivable land in the State at a cheaper price, and allowed tax evasion of lakhs of crores of rupees.
