Jagtial farmers protest over MSP for maize, many arrested

JAGTIAL: Tension prevailed in Jagtial on Friday when scores of maize farmers thronged to the Collectorate and laid seize to the office, demanding MSP for maize and opening of maize procurement centres. 

As part of their protest, Rythu Ikya Vedika had called upon maize farmers for a mahadharna at the Collectorate on Friday. Many farmers , including district president of the Vedika Tirupati Reddy,  were taken into preventive custody by the police on Thursday night.   

Police had placed barricades at several places but farmers crossed them and reached the district headquarters. As the farmers congregated, slogans of Jai Jawan and Jai Kisan reverberated through the town. At several places, farmers were forcefully arrested by the police. But some farmers managed to reach the Collectorate and for about four hours, traffic on Nizamabad-Karimnagar Highway was blocked.