Tadepalli (Andhra Pradesh) [India], June 29 (ANI): The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) on Monday alleged that farmers from the Amaravati region meeting party supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in large numbers have become an "eyesore" for the ruling coalition government, resulting in targeted attacks on party leaders.
Speaking to the media, YSRCP NTR district President Devineni Avinash claimed that the "jungle raj" prevailing in the state was evident from the recent attack on the YSRCP team at Undavalli and the subsequent "foisting" of false cases.
"The attack stems from the fact that farmers from the Amaravati region were meeting YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and pouring their woes out. This has become an eyesore for the coalition government, which was reflected in the attack on our team at Undavalli," Avinash said.
The YSRCP leader, who was part of the Farmers' Protection Committee, alleged that TDP workers carried out the violence while the police remained "mute spectators."
"We, as part of the Farmers' Protection Committee, were stopped by shouting slogans and attacked by TDP hooligans, and the police had booked cases against us, which shows the state of law and order... Our Committee was visiting Penumaka, and it was stopped and attacked, damaging our vehicles while police were mute spectators and later filed cases against us under serious sections," he stated.
Avinash further accused the state government of harassing farmers who did not voluntarily part with their land, alleging that authorities are now resorting to "forced acquisition."
"The farmers who did not part with the land were being harassed by the government and resorting to forced acquisition. Chandrababu friendly media has been spinning stories that were accompanied by rowdies, while in reality it was the hooligans of TDP that carried out the attack on us," he added.
Clarifying the party's position on the state capital, Avinash asserted that the YSRCP is not against the city itself but against the alleged "plunder" occurring in its name.
"We never opposed Amaravati but were against the rampant corruption and extravaganza going on in the name of capital and have been exposing it at all available avenues. While there is a plunder at Amaravati, development is not visible anywhere in the state," the YSRCP leader remarked.
He asserted that the party's resolve to stand by the affected farmers remains unshaken despite the attacks.
"The more the attacks, the stronger our resolve to fight it out grows, and we will stand by the affected farmers who are being harassed and being coerced for forcible acquisition," he said. (ANI)
