Hyderabad: A call for Bharat Bandh given by several farmers’ organisations in protest against the Centre’s new farm laws evoked good response across Telangana on Tuesday, with the ruling TRS party as well as opposition Congress and Left parties supporting it.
Across the state and in the capital city, shops and business establishments downed shutters, TSRTC buses remained confined to depots and banks and other shops remained closed in response to the nationwide bandh call.
The ruling TRS, Congress and Left party leaders staged rasta rokos on National Highways in different points in the state. TRS and Opposition parties’ leaders took out rallies and staged sit-ins in front of bus depots.
TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao extended support to the bandh call and appealed to all sections of society to observe bandh to express solidarity with the farmers agitating in New Delhi.
The Bandh went off peacefully in Telangana, by and large. Vehicular traffic was stranded on almost all 23 national highways passing through the state. Several farmers participated too, many of them travelling in bullock carts or tractors to block roads in the erstwhile districts of Nalgonda, Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Medak, Ranga Reddy, Karimnagar, Warangal, Adilabad and Nizamabad.
In Hyderabad, many traders, doctors, state and Central government employees, auto workers, transporters, RTC staff unions and trade unions took out rallies in various parts expressing solidarity with agitating farmers.
TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao took part in a rasta roko programme on Hyderabad-Bengaluru national highway near Shadnagar. Finance minister T. Harish Rao took part in a protest at Toopran Y-junction, while MLC K. Kavitha staged a rasta roko at Tekrial on NH 44. Many ministers also took part in the agitation in their respective districts.
Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka led a rasta roko programme at Shamirpet while working president A. Revanth Reddy blocked traffic at the market committee in Shadnagar on Hyderabad-Bengaluru Highway. CPM and CPI workers held rasta roko programs on the National Highway in Nalgonda.
Addressing the gathering at Shadnagar, TRS working president KTR said the Centre bulldozed these bills and got it passed using sheer strength in Parliament. Arguing that the Chief Minister was supporting farmers through Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima schemes, he said the Centre did not even guarantee Minimum Support Price to farmers. He said there was a need to create awareness on the issue among people.
Harish Rao demanded that the Centre immediately withdraw the three farm laws, saying, the laws will favour corporate organisations whereas farmers will be at receiving end. Kavitha said absence of MSP will lead to a direct entry of private players into the system.
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