BRS stages protest in Council demanding discussion on Lagacharla farmers arrest issue

As soon as Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka began his discussion on Telangana State Tourism Policy after the break in the afternoon, the BRS members stood up and started demanding discussion on Lagacherla farmers issue.

Hyderabad: The BRS members on Monday staged a protest in the Legislative Council demanding the government to discuss the issue pertaining to the arrest of tribal farmers of Lagacherla village of Vikarabad district who were arrested for alleged attack on the district collector and other officials and a farmer being handcuffed while he was taken to a hospital from Sangareddy Jail.

As soon as Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka began his discussion on Telangana State Tourism Policy after the break in the afternoon, the BRS members stood up and started demanding discussion on Lagacherla farmers issue. Council chairman Gutha Sukender Reddy told the agitating members that the government would reply on the issue of handcuffing of a farmer by jail officials soon.

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However, the members continued their protest and even went near the well demanding discussion on the issue. They raised slogans such as “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan” and held placards demanding release of farmers. When after repeated appeals the BRS members refused to take their seats, the chairman adjourned the House for the day.

Earlier, the BRS members gave adjournment motion notice to the Council Chairman to discuss the issue of arrest of tribal farmers of Lagacherla village, which was turned down , following which BRS members raised slogans against the government and displayed placards demanding the government to withdraw the cases filed against the farmers in the House. However, Sukender Reddy immediately adjourned the House for lunch forcing the members to take the protest to the media point.

Speaking to the media, Leader of the Opposition S Madhusudhana Chary along with party MLCs K Kavitha and others, alleged that the State government had filed false cases against the tribal farmers of Lagacherla and demanded the government to immediately withdraw all the cases. The tribals were protesting against their land being taken away by the State government to set up pharma villages, he said, adding that the government had registered cases against the farmers to create fear among them.

Coming down heavily on the State government’s stand on the Lagacherla farmers, he made it clear that BRS would keep on raising the issue till the government withdrew all the cases filed against the farmers. Alleging that all sections of the society were unhappy with the Congress government, he said daily protests were going on against the government’s failure to fulfill poll promises.

“As the Congress is not able to fulfil poll promises, it is trying to silence the voices of the people by using police force,” he said. .