TDP senior leader Yanamala Ramakrishnudu slams 'repression' of farmers, Dalits by govt

Amaravati : Former minister and TDP senior leader Yanamala Ramakrishnudu on Saturday flayed the YSRCP government for ruthlessly suppressing the Jail Bharo agitation of the Amaravati farmers and Dalits in utter disregard for their basic human rights.

Ramakrishnudu condemned the house arrests of the TDP leaders and former ministers all over the state. The suppression of peaceful protests was heinous and inhuman, which was not being seen anywhere else in the country.

In a statement here, the Opposition leader in Legislative Council said that everybody should condemn the unconstitutional and undemocratic activities of the Jagan government. The Dalit farmers were just protesting democratically against the handcuffing and imprisonment of their fellow farmers. They requested for the permission much in advance, but the officials were hand in glove with the ruling party to thwart the Opposition protests.

Meanwhile, TDP politburo member Varla Ramaiah strongly objected to the police placing him under house arrest. He deplored that the chaotic and archaic activities of the YSRCP regime were reaching a new peak level. What people were seeing in Andhra Pradesh was not a rule of law but a police raj which was trampling on all rights of the people.

The state-wide house arrests of the TDP and Amaravati Capital JAC leaders came in for severe criticism all over. The police made preventive arrests to foil the agitators' move to hold 'Guntur Jail Bharo'.

The call was given in protest against the handcuffing of Dalit farmers in Amaravati area. Right from the early morning hours, scores of police descended on the residences of the TDP leaders and prevented them from coming out of their homes.

Former home minister Nimmakayala Chinarajappa, former ministers Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, Nakka Anand Babu, Prathipati Pulla Rao, former MLAs Jyothula Nehru, Nettem Raghu Ram and others were placed under house arrest.

The police issued notices under CrPC Section 149 to them. The authorities said that there was a possibility of harm to the law and order because of the protests. There was a likelihood of threat to life and property from the anti-social elements.

The Opposition parties have risen in serious protests against the police putting handcuffs on the Dalit farmers before shifting them to the jail.

The farmers were only stopping outsiders from entering the Amaravati Capital city area. They were duly checking the photo identity cards of the outsiders coming in auto rickshaws into Amaravati to take part in 'counter agitation' in favour of 3 Capitals plan of Jagan. Because of this, cases were filed against the Dalit farmers of Krishnayapalem in Capital city area and they were eventually jailed.

The Opposition leaders planned to do Jail Bharo at Guntur. They asserted that their agitation will continue despite the suppressive tactics of the ruling YSRCP.