Farmers here on Saturday organized a rasta-roko (road blockade) on the national highway demanding that the government direct the authorities concerned to immediately procure their soaked paddy in the local agriculture market.
The farmers said they were constrained to resort to road blockade on the national highway as the agriculture market officials failed to procure the paddy even as they were patiently waiting in the market yard for the past one week. As the vehicular traffic came to a grinding halt, State BJP treasurer Gangidi Manohar Reddy, district party general secretary Donuru Veera Reddy and others, who were passing by on the road, enquired with the protestors about their problem and extended support to them.
The angry farmers remained firm on their demand when the BJP leaders asked them to call off their protest. The protesters continued the road blockade saying that they would not relent till the higher authorities initiated steps to procure their paddy stocks. With this, the police intervened and dispersed them by using force. The police also arrested the BJP leaders and whisked them away to the police station. (NSS)