HYDERABAD: A war-like situation prevailed at various IKP paddy procurement centres visited by the BJP state president B Sanjay Kumar during his two-day tour of Suryapet district on Tuesday. BJP and TRS workers pelted stones at each other and many used sticks as well, rendering it a nightmarish situation for police personnel stationed there.
At every point of Sanjay Kumar’s tour, TRS workers tried to obstruct him and raised slogans demanding that he go back. A police constable was injured in the stone-pelting which happened when Sanjay visited the procurement centre at Chivvemla. After interacting with farmers, he went to a procurement centre at Atmakur (S), where a similar situation prevailed.
A viral video showed TRS workers holding black flags and sticks attacking the police personnel. However, police resorted to lathicharge against BJP workers there.
Saffron party workers who assembled at the procurement centre in Jajireddigudem village of Thungaturthi constituency were attacked by TRS workers yielding sticks, who also damaged the vehicles of BJP leaders.
At Arvapally procurement centre in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, TRS workers gathered in large numbers at the town’s centre and squatted on the roads to prevent Sanjay Kumar from entering the town. Stone-pelting between BJP and TRS workers led Sanjay Kumar to cancel the visit and he went to the procurement centre at Thirumalagiri instead, where he was confronted by TRS workers again.
Representation to Governor
All this happened on a day when BJP leaders represented to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan about TRS workers attacking and preventing Sanjay Kumar from visiting the procurement centres at Miryalaguda, Shettipalem, Chillepally bridge, Nereducherla, Garidepally, Gaddipally on Monday. BJP leaders alleged that these attacks were planned by TRS MLAs, Ministers and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who indirectly incited his party workers to violence against BJP leaders. The police department was complicit in these attacks, they alleged.
Niranjan hits back
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy claimed that BJP workers were resorting to violence in the guise of visiting procurement centres and spreading false propaganda online.
He questioned the need to visit the centres, when procurement was already taking place in the State.