Farmers refuse to give lands for TRS' mega public meet

Hyderabad, Nov 5:  Ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is facing opposition from farmers of a village in Hanamkonda district for its mega public meeting, scheduled for November 29.

Farmers of Devannapet village in Hasanparthy mandal on Friday staged protest against the alleged attempts by authorities to take their agricultural lands for the meeting near Warangal.

A group of officials faced the ire of farmers when they went to survey the lands at the proposed venue of the meeting.

The farmers raised slogans against the TRS government and made it clear that they will not give the lands for 'Vijaya Garjana', as the TRS meeting is named.

One of them pointed out that the crops on their fields were ready for harvesting and said if their lands were taken they would suffer huge losses. They demanded that the TRS look for some other land for organizing the meeting.

Another farmer alleged that TRS leaders, revenue officials and police were threatening them for not giving their lands.

This is the second time in three days the farmers staged the protest, refusing to give their lands for the meeting. TRS leaders including government whip Vinay Bhaskar and former minister Kadiam Srihari had to face protest from the farmers on Wednesday. A local corporator of TRS and some party workers even thrashed a few farmers when they refused to allow the TRS leaders into their fields.

The protesters had stopped TRS leaders from entering their fields. Since the area is close to Hyderabad-Warangal highway, the ruling party is keen to hold its mega public meeting here.

The farmers are contending that since gravel will be used to level the ground as part of the arrangements for the meeting, this would affect the soil, making it difficult for them to raise any crops in future. They say the boundaries of their land holdings would also get erased.

TRS plans to mobilize 10 lakh people for the mega rally being organised to mark two decades of the party. The ruling party leaders said the meet would showcase the achievements of the party during the last two decades and the progress made by the State under TRS rule since 2014.

The opposition from farmers to TRS comes close on the heels of the party's defeat in Huzurabad Assembly by-election.

TRS had last month announced that the meeting will be held on November 15. But on Monday, a day before the counting of votes polled in the by-election to Huzurabad Assembly constituency, it decided to change the date to November 29.

Chief Minister and TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao said he rescheduled the meeting at the request of party leaders from Warangal, who wanted the meeting take place on November 29, to coincide with aTelangana Deeksha Diwas'. It was on this date in 2009, the TRS chief began indefinite hunger strike demanding statehood to Telangana.

The hunger strike coupled with massive protests across Telangana had forced the then Congress-led UPA government at the Centre to announce that the process for formation of Telangana State would be initiated.