Traffic in front of the state Assembly was brought to a grinding halt on Monday afternoon as Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu, along with Left leaders, staged a dharna to protest against the arrest of his party MLAs, who themselves were protesting against the arrest of farmers.
Mr Naidu sat on the road and demanded that the Central Zone police immediately release the TDP MLAs who had been arrested when they tried to protest against farmers’ leaders, who came to city to submit a memorandum on their problems to the state government.
Slamming the state government for its failure in redressing the problems of farmers in rain affected districts in coastal Andhra Pradesh, Mr Naidu demanded release of farmers’ leaders immediately and sought an apology from police.
The farmers’ leaders had come to Assembly to meet the Chief Minister. However, as the Assembly was in Session, the Chief Minister expressed his inability to meet them.
Protesting against the unavailability of the Chief Minister, the farmers staged a dharna in front of Assembly gate. Sensing trouble from the farmers, the police arrested them and shifted to nearby police station.
Demanding the release of farmer leaders, the TDP MLAs started their own protests.
Sensing trouble from the TDP MLAs and left party leaders, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central zone) Dr Akun Sabharwal took them into custody and shifted to Gosha Mahal police station.
Even as the MLAs were detained at the police station, the police released the farmers’ leaders.
Meanwhile, Mr Naidu demanded that the police release his party MLAs. Protesting against the arrests, Mr Naidu sat on the road and demanded an apology. He was soon joined by the farmers’ leaders.
Slamming the inefficiency of government, Mr Naidu said that he would intensify his agitation against the anti-farmer government until it addresses their problems.
Instead of extending help to the distressed farmers, the government resorting arrests and adopting anti-farmer policies, he stated.
The former chief minister said that he would take help from like-minded parties to mount pressure on the government to redress woes of farmers.
Earlier, the Opposition leader took out Padayatra from Ambedkar statue on Tank Bund to Assembly demanding discussion on farmers’ problems.
The protest was still on at the time this report was filed.