A protest demonstration called by the CPI (M) and its frontal organisations against the restrictions on the entry of activists of the political parties, farmers’ organisations and media personnel into the Agriculture Market Yard turned tense when police detained several party leaders and activists at the Bose Statue Centre here on Tuesday. Tension prevailed in the three-town area when a large posse of police detained CPI (M) district secretary Nunna Nageswara Rao and others while they were on their way to the market yard as part of a protest rally.
The police shifted them to various police stations and let them off later.
Addressing newsmen late in the afternoon, Mr. Nageswara Rao slammed the persons at the helm charging them with imposing restrictions on the entry of leaders representing political parties and farmers’ associations besides media personnel into the market yard ever since the ‘exploitation’ of chilli farmers by ‘unscrupulous traders’ was exposed at the chilli yard here on Thursday.
“The move is tantamount to imposition of undeclared emergency and attempt to shield greedy traders who are acting hand in glove with middlemen at the yard,” he charged, alleging the police prevented them from proceeding towards the market yard to submit a memorandum to the authorities seeking lifting of ‘entry restrictions’.
“The CPI (M) will espouse the cause of farmers, undeterred by the repressive measures unleashed by the TRS dispensation, to ensure the peasants remunerative price for their produce,” he said.
