Telangana Oppn. parties join hands to fight against Central, state govts

HYDERABAD: Led by the Congress, all Opposition parties in Telangana decided to fight unitedly against the anti-farmer policies of the BJP government at the Centre and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) government in the state. The Opposition parties also decided to launch a series of agitation programmes on subjects pertaining to tribal lands, land acquisitions and Dharani portal.

The decision was taken at an all-party meeting convened by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president and MP A. Revanth Reddy at Gandhi Bhavan on Sunday. The meeting was attended by CPI state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy, CPI (M) secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram, Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) president Prof. M. Kodandaram, CPI-ML Secretary S. Ranga Rao, Cheruku Sudhakar (Inti Party) and Govardhan (CPI-ML New Democracy).

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Revanth Reddy informed that an all-party maha dharna on farmers' issues would be organised at Indira Park on September 22. He urged the farmers and others to make the maha dharna a grand success.

Revanth Reddy said committees would be formed at Parliamentary-constituency level to ensure grand success of the proposed Bharat Bandh on September 27. He said all political parties would work together to make the Bharat Bandh more effective. Prominent leaders would lead the protest at national highways connecting Hyderabad. He said activists and leaders of all Opposition parties in every constituency should be on road on September 27 to register their protest. He also appealed to the people to participate in the Bharat Bandh.

The TPCC president said all-party delegations would submit joint representations to the district collectors on September 30 seeking redressal of problems being faced by the farmers. On October 5, agitation programmes would be held with regard to Podu lands in the 400 km connecting corridor. A 'Podu Rasta Roko' from Adilabad to Aswaraopet will also be organised.

Revanth Reddy said tribal communities had been doing cultivation on forest lands stretched across 20 Assembly constituencies for decades. However, those tribals were not issued any pattas for those lands. He blamed Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao for the rise in incidents of clashes between the tribals and forest department personnel. He said the TRS government had failed to resolve the disputes pertaining to forest lands despite giving several assurances.

Veerabhadram said the Opposition parties would continue their struggle till all demands were resolved. Chada Venkat Reddy said as many as 19 political parties at the national level joined hands under the leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi to launch joint agitation on farmers' issues. He said CPI workers would work actively along with other parties to ensure success of proposed agitation programmes.

Kodandaram appealed to the people to support the Opposition parties' maha dharna on September 22, Bharat Bandh on September 27 and other programmes. He said everyone must support the agitation to protect the rights of Podu farmers.

Rangarao said the Modi and the KCR governments neglected the problems being faced by common people. Therefore, agitation was the only way to pressurise the government to address the issues concerning farmers and other sections of society. The meeting was also attended by TPCC vice presidents Mallu Ravi, Vem Narender Reddy, Kisan Congress national vice president M. Kodanda Reddy, Prof P.L. Vishveshwar Rao, K. Rama and others.