Byreedy Rajasekhar Reddy, president, Rayalaseema Parirakshana Samithi, at last succeeded in leading march from Pudicherla in Orvakal mandal to the Kurnool Collectorate, protesting against what he termed forcible acquisition of fertile lands, in the name of setting up industries in the mandal. This time, Reddy got Courts not which directed the state government to accord permission to his rally. This time he could mobilize support from various political parties as well.
Kotla Jayasuryaprakash Reddy (former union minister), M. Geyanand ( MLC), T. Shadrak (CPM State committee member), P. Jagannatham (district rythu sangham president), B.Y. Ramaiah (district Congress committee president), P. Ramanjaneyulu (CPI district secretary), Azeem and Arshad (MIM leaders) and Shamshullah (Welfare Party of India) leader also took part in the yatra.
Addressing farmers at Pudicherla and at the Collectorate, Rajasekhara Reddy warned that he would move the court against the violation of the LA Act. He accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of betraying his motherland Rayalaseema and mortgaging its interests to coastal Andhra. “The government is acting against the spirit of democracy and giving priority to corporates. It will incur the wrath of people if continue to troubling poor and marginal farmers,” he said.
He recalled how his padayatra had been foiled last month by placing him under house arrest and arresting thousands of farmers and said he had to knock the doors of High Court for permission. ” What kind of democracy is this if you have no freedom express your protest in a peaceful and Gandhian way,” he asked. Kotla Jayasuryaprakash Reddy warned the government it could not take even an inch of against the will of the farmers. DCC president B.Y. Ramaiah said the Chief Minister was offering up to Rs. 2 crore per acre to farmers for acquiring land for the capital, but he was grabbing lands by giving a pittance of Rs. 2 lakh per acre in Kurnool district.
Geyanand and Shadrak called upon the people to be on high alert and raise the voice of protest against the government moves to rob the lands of the poor and transfer them to the corporate companies.
