Police asks Amaravati farmers to show ID cards amid Maha Padayatra

KAKINADA: Tension prevailed for a while when police prevented Maha Padayatra of Amaravati farmers at Pasalapudi in Ambedkar Konaseema district on Friday. After resuming their padayatra at Rayavaram in the morning, the farmers reached Pasalapudi by noon. After taking a brief halt for lunch, the farmers resumed their padayatra. But it was stopped by police.

Ramachandrapuram DSP Balachandra Reddy asked the farmers to proceed ahead only after showing their identity cards. This led to exchange of arguments between the police and the farmers, resulting in jostling. Even as the police stopped the padayatra, the farmers tried to proceed ahead raising ‘Jai Amaravati’ slogans. In the ensuing jostling between the police and the farmers, a few ryots and JAC leaders suffered minor injuries.

Resenting the police action, the farmers squatted on the road and raised slogans against the government. However, the police made it clear that farmers would be allowed to continue the padayatra only after showing their identity cards. JAC leaders Siva Reddy and Tirupati Rao questioned why the police, who did not ask the farmers to show identity cards all these days, were insisting them now. The police maintained that they obstructed the padayatra as per the directions of the High Court, without showing the order copy, the ryots alleged.

The police said the High Court permitted only 600 farmers to undertake padayatra. Following the suggestion from the police, JAC leader Siva Reddy appealed to people to extend their solidarity to Maha Padayatra by standing on either side of the road.

Later, the farmers continued their padayatra. The farmers will visit Draksharamam temple on Saturday. After performing offering prayers at the temple, they will resume padayatra. Meanwhile, YSRC activists, led by BC Welfare Minister Ch Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna held a rally in support of the three-capital proposal of the YSRC government.