Hyderabad, December 26: The Telugu Desam Party, along with other like-minded parties, will organise a massive farmers’ rally in Guntur on December 30. A decision to this effect was taken at an all-party meeting held at NTR Bhavan here today. The rally – Rytu Garjana – will prepare a draft agricultural policy for the perusal of the central government.
TDP leader Devender Goud told reporters today that the rally and the public meeting were planned in Guntur district as crop loss was more in that part of the state. “The state government should at least wake up from its slumber after the Guntur rally,” Goud said.
The farmers’ movement kick-started by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in the state would spread to the entire country, he said.
Goud alleged that chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Congress MPs and MLCs failed to prevail upon the Centre for release of AP’s share in the Central funds, leave alone additional funds. The Centre released more funds to Maharashtra, he pointed out. TDP politburo member K Yerran Naidu said all national and regional party leaders would take part in the Guntur rally. On the chief minister’s remarks in Chittoor today that there was no connection between the crop damage and farmers’ suicides, Yerran Naidu said it was unfair on the part of the chief minister to make such comments.
CPM leader Y Venkateswara Rao found fault with the chief minister’s comments that the media had glorified the farmers’ suicides. “The chief minister had better spell out the reasons for farmers’ suicides,” the CPM leader said.
The CPI, LSP, RSP and the Forward Bloc too extended support to the TDP’s agitation and decided to attend the Guntur meeting.
MOBILISATION: The TDP is planning to mobilise farmers from seven districts, including two Telangana districts. Incharges were appointed for Guntur, Krishna, Prakasam, West Godavari, East Godavari, Nalgonda and Khammam. Meanwhile, party seniors NAMA Nageswara Rao, MV Mysoora Reddy, YS Chowdary and Kambhampati Rammohana Rao will coordinate with leaders of national and regional parties in the country.
-Agencies