Amaravati farmers protest on capital shift despite prohibitory orders

While additional forces were deployed in Thullur, Mandadam and Venkatapalem areas, police said that the protesters were arrested for violations.
Police blocked villagers after they called for protest rally amid the implementation Section 144 at Mandadam in Amaravati on Saturday| Prashant Madugala
Police blocked villagers after they called for protest rally amid the implementation Section 144 at Mandadam in Amaravati on Saturday| Prashant Madugala

VIJAYAWADA: Despite the police imposing prohibitory orders, there has been no let up in agitations by capital region farmers. Demanding that Amaravati be retained as the State capital, protesters from all 29 capital villages took part in the protests keeping the region tensed on Saturday.   

In an attempt to control the agitators, additional police and special party forces were deployed in Thullur, Venkatapalem and Mandadam where farmers were not allowed to venture out of their houses to stage protests.

The police also removed tents arranged in Thullur and sent away the villagers who had gathered. Despite the police informing the locals about the prohibitory orders and placing barricades, farmers gathered at protesting junctions in their respective villages in huge numbers.

As the agitators, including women, tried to jump the barricades, police pushed them resulting in the scuffle. While some women suffered from suffocation, one got a minor fracture in her hand. Angered at being prevented from staging protests peacefully, villagers observed silent protest and raised slogans against CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and the police.

Meanwhile, the police arrested the agitators and took them into preventive custody for violating Section 144 of the CrPC and Section 30 of The Police Act. "As the law and order situation in the capital villages has become a cause of concern, we clamped down prohibitory orders. Protesters were taken into custody only when they tried to attack the police," Thullur DSP Srinivas Reddy said.

On the other hand, Telugu Desam leaders alleged that another farmer, who was upset over the CM’s proposal for three capital cities, died after suffering from cardiac arrest on Saturday. The deceased, N Gopala Rao (64), had reportedly given his half-acre land for the capital development.  TDP national secretary Nara Lokesh met Sri Lakshmi, who was injured in Friday’s protest in Mandadam.

Meanwhile, a youngster, identified as Jaani, attempted suicide by self-immolation in Thullur. His brother was arrested earlier in connection with the attack on MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy. The farmers have been protesting since December 19 against the proposal to divide capital functions among three cities, with Vizag as the executive capital, Amaravati legislative capital and Kurnool judicial capital.

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