Hyderabad: BJP MPs D.K. Aruna and Etala Rajendar demanded that the Congress government release farmers arrested in the Lagcharla incident unconditionally. They blasted the government by saying those who harassed farmers and people in the past have now been confined to farmhouses and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy would face the same fate as his arrogance peaked within 11 months of coming to power.
The BJP MPs met the arrested farmers in Sangareddy jail during the mulaqat time. Later talking to newsmen, they advised the Chief Minister to leave his arrogance and withdraw the unilateral decision to set up pharma companies in Lagcharla against the wishes of the local farmers.
Aruna said, “Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had rewarded the farmers by putting them in jail for electing him from the Kodangal assembly segment. The pharma managements turned dearer to him than the people who voted for him. Revanth Reddy is not acting like a local resident but as a migrant to this place.” She pointed out that the CM has also been treating the residents of the Musi riverbed in the same inhuman manner.
Talking about the sequence of events on the day when the collector visited the village, Aruna said the farmers were agitated on the visit of the collector with a big convoy and they were already in shock as the officials had earlier warned them that the government would seize their lands if they don’t hand over. The farmers were staging protests for eight months against the land acquisition and setting up of pharma companies.
Charging that the Congress activists who also protested against the collector’s visit were not arrested, but innocent farmers, BJP sympathisers and activists were arrested, Aruna said the Congress government developed vengeance against villagers as they have given a majority to BJP in their areas in the last Lok Sabha polls.
Demanding immediate release of all farmers arrested, Aruna alleged that the police officers are conducting raids and reining terror in the region in Lagcharla and five other adjoining villages after the incident. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s elder brother, who doesn’t hold any constitutional post, was allowed to visit the area with a large number of Congress activists, but I was denied entry though I represent them in Parliament, she said.
