Paddy issue: TRS workers protest against Telangana BJP chief’s tour for second day

Similarly, Sanjay Kumar and other party leaders were booked for undertaking the tour without taking any permission from district administration nor police as the election code is in force for MLC elections and thus causing law and order problem, inconvenience to farmers and public in Nalgonda district, police said.

Hyderabad, Nov 16 (PTI): For the second day in a row on Tuesday, ruling TRS cadre held protests and tried to obstruct Telangana BJP unit president and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar's visit to paddy procurement centres in Suryapet district of the State, police said.

Raising slogans and holding black flags, TRS workers again held protests at various places demanding Sanjay Kumar to go back a day after he began a two-day tour of Nalgonda and Suryapet districts to assess paddy procurement and to interact with the farmers.

Mild tension prevailed in different places in Suryapet district after a large number of TRS activists took to the streets and squatted on roads and were countered by BJP workers, who also assembled in large numbers.

TV visuals also showed some people wielding sticks and clashing with police.

At one place, workers of both the parties threw footwear and eggs at one another, a senior police official told PTI.

BJP leaders alleged that TRS activists pelted the BJP workers with stones and damaged their two vehicles, a charge denied by the TRS leaders.

A large number of police personnel were deployed who used force to disperse the members of both the parties. Amid the protests, Sanjay Kumar continued his tour and visited some paddy procurement centres and also spoke to farmers. Meanwhile, cases were registered against leaders and workers of both the TRS and BJP for causing disturbance to law and order situation after the activists of the two parties clashed by pelting stones during Sanjay Kumar's visit to Nalgonda district on Monday, Nalgonda District Superintendent of Police A V Ranganath said. Similarly, Sanjay Kumar and other party leaders were booked for undertaking the tour without taking any permission from district administration nor police as the election code is in force for MLC elections and thus causing law and order problem, inconvenience to farmers and public in Nalgonda district, police said. The TRS has alleged that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre followed double standards in the issue of paddy procurement in Telangana and created confusion among people.

However, Sanjay Kumar demanded that the State government procure the paddy produced in the rainy season without delay, and added the BJP would not leave the issue until the TRS government specified as to when it is going to purchase the crop and pay money to farmers.

The TRS organised protests across the State on Friday last alleging that the the NDA government refused to procure paddy in the state during the coming 'yasangi' (summer) crop season.

Taking exception to TRS holding dharnas against the BJP and the NDA government over the Centre's alleged refusal to procure paddy in the 'yasangi' (summer) crop, BJP leader and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday asked how can the NDA government be called anti-farmer when it has heavily increased rice procurement from the state since it assumed office in 2014.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)