Farmers cry foul over CM-farmer interaction

Farmers cry foul over CM-farmer interaction
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Highlights

Face-to-face meeting Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and farmers on Tuesday turned controversial in the context of identifying farmers for the event.

  • TDP leaders allegedly identified a selective group of cultivators for face-to-face meeting
  • A ryot at Mangalagiri flays the party leaders for forcing him out of bus as he was not willing to part with his land
  • Agriculturists demand that Naidu visit villages and study ground realities

Guntur: Face-to-face meeting Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and farmers on Tuesday turned controversial in the context of identifying farmers for the event. The difference that have arisen between farmers over parting with their lands for the capital city in three mandals – Thullur, Tadepalli and Mangalagiri – in Guntur district has now become aggravated into full-scale conflict.
(Left ) Farmers waiting in Mangalagiri to get into bus on their way to Hyderabad on Tuesday. (Right) TDP activists arguing with a farmer Naresh (inset) after the latter was forced out of the bus.
With majority of farmers resolutely remain opposed to give up their fertile lands, the Telugu Desam Party leaders planned a way out and decided to organise face-to-face meeting between the farmers and the Chief Minister. As part of the strategy, the TDP leaders with the help of the Cabinet sub-committee members identified a selective group 150 farmers from 29 villages in the three mandals, which are proposed to be made capital region, for face-to-face meeting with Naidu. There were several TDP activists and farmers from outside the three proposed mandals among the cultivators who were sent by buses to Hyderabad to interact with the Chief Minister.

The TDP leaders forced a farmer, identified as Naresh, to disembark the bus at Mangalagiri as he remained opposed to part with his fertile land. Naresh expressed anger over the party leaders forcing him out of the bus and condemned the autocratic style adopted by them.

Even as the buses began moving, the TDP leaders started taking classes for farmers, tutoring them what they should say and what they should not say during interaction with the Chief Minister. The farmers demanded that Naidu, instead of holding meeting in Hyderabad, should visit the villages and try to find out ground realities.

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