Farmers’ urea crisis sparks BRS protest, police detain leaders in Karimnagar

BRS activists led by former MLA Sunke Ravishankar staged a protest in Karimnagar against urea shortage, leading to clashes with police. Ravishankar accused both the Congress government in Telangana and the BJP-led Centre of failing farmers by neglecting timely fertiliser supply

Karimnagar: Mild tension prevailed at Madhuranagar crossroads in Gangadhara mandal on Saturday when BRS activists attempted to stage a dharna and rasta roko, protesting against the State government’s failure to ensure urea supply to farmers.

The protest, led by former MLA Sunke Ravishankar, was foiled midway by the police. A scuffle broke out as activists resisted, leading to jostling with the police. Ravishankar was taken into custody and shifted to Gangadhara police station.

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When the BRS workers sat on the road, police dragged them and bundled them into vehicles. Former Market Committee chairman Sagi Mahipal Rao sustained a leg injury in the incident.

The activists criticised the police for arresting them while they were protesting peacefully, alleging that democracy was being suppressed under the Congress regime. They were later released in the afternoon.

Addressing the gathering, Ravishankar mocked Telangana Congress in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan’s ‘Janahitha Yatra’, calling it ‘Janahimsa Yatra’. He alleged that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was indifferent to farmers’ problems, which he claimed was the root cause of the urea shortage.

Ravishankar also dismissed Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageshwar Rao’s remark that both BRS and BJP were behind the urea crisis, calling it “ridiculous.” He further blamed the Centre, stating that although farmers had been suffering for two months, the BJP government had failed to intervene.

“Only after the damage was done did BJP leaders promise urea supply,” he said.