BJP Takes Out "Rythu Rakshana" Yatra In Khammam

Mild tension prevailed in Khammam on Tuesday when the BJP leaders took out a "Rythu Rakshana" yatra in support of the farmers in the State.

Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy and party floor leader Dr K Lakshman were taken into preventive custody when they tried to proceed towards the district Collectorate.

The police action caused tension in the area, and prompted party workers and leaders to sit in front of the police vehicle in which the two leaders were kept. The police and the BJP activists had heated arguments, and later, the police arrested the agitating BJP leaders and workers, too, and whisked them away to the 2-town police station.

Speaking to mediapersons earlier, Kishan Reddy demanded that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao mitigate the problems of the distressed farmers. He also swore that his Party would fight for justice on behalf of the farmers.

On the Warangal Lok Sabha by-election, Reddy said that a candidate on behalf of the BJP-TDP combine would be selected in the conventional manner. Reddy also appealed to the people to utilize the opportunity and support the BJP candidate because if the Party's candidate won the Warangal by-election, he would definitely be made a Union minister and Warangal would be developed on all fronts.

He also said that the Centre had sanctioned Rs 1,900 crores for the development of the national highway between Hyderabad and Warangal. Besides, a Godavari bridge would also be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crores, he added.

He also demanded that the State government announce drought mandals and help farmers in the State.

Besides Kishan Reddy and Dr Lakshman, district party president Sridhar Reddy and other leaders including Vidyasagar Rao also participated in the Rythu Rakshana yatra. Later they took out a rally from Pavalion Maidan to the Collectorate.