Naidu, Narayana Held For Dharna

Protesting the failure of the state government in addressing farmers' issues despite the start of the kharif season, Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu and Communist Party Of India state secretary K Narayana staged a "maha dharna" at Indira Park.

Addressing the gathering at Indira Park, Naidu accused the state and central governments of having failed to resolve farmers' problems including the supply of subsidized seeds and fertilizers, rescheduling of loans, waiving of interest and providing minimum support price for farm produce.

"The government has failed to supply even 30% seeds and fertilizers to farmers despite the start of the kharif season," he stated.

Stating that the prices of fertilizers and seeds have increased 12-fold, Naidu alleged that this it would put an additional burden of Rs. 1,100 crores on farmers. Alleging that the government was being negligent towards farmers' issues in drought-hit mandals, Naidu said that 20,000 farmers had ended their lives since the Congress government took over in the state.

He ridiculed the Congress' claim of being a "champion" of the farmers' cause, and called it an anti-farmer government instead.

Stating that government had failed to honour its promise on the reschedule of loans, Naidu said that the government had not waived the Rs. 3,000 crore interest on farm loans, and that instead, it had cleared only the interest on the loans, that was worth Rs. 300 crore.

Stating that 5 lakh acres of crop had withered due to an erratic supply of power, Naidu demanded the implementation of the Swaminathan Committee's recommendations for the welfare of farmers.

Reiterating that the TDP would continue its agitation until the government takes concrete steps towards farmers' problems, Naidu said that he would place all their demands in the party's election manifesto of 2014 general elections.

CPI state secretary Narayana suspected the existence of a "secret pact" between the fertilizer deals and the government so that fertilizers can be sold in the black market.

He alleged that fertilizer dealers resorting to blackmail tactics and dictating terms to the government during raids conducted by officials on them proves that a secret deal exist between the two.

He also condemned the government for foisting police cases against CPI activists who stage dharnas in front of dealers and shops.

Later, the police arrested Naidu and Narayana when they called activists to picket Secretariat, and shifted them to Banjara Hills police station.

Leaders and representatives from the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and the Forward Block also participated in the day-long dharna. (INN)