Police arrest over 50 YSRCP leaders, activists in Srikakulam district

Former Revenue Minister and YSRCP Srikakulam District president Dharmana Krishna Das on Monday alleged that the government had misused police powers to thwart their plan to stage a peaceful protest over the short supply of fertilizers for farmers during the current Kharif season.

Police officials arrested over 50 YSRCP leaders and activists in Narasannapeta, Etcherla, Amadalavalasa and Srikakulam rural mandal when they were heading towards Srikakulam to participate in the agitation.

The police also arrested former Etcherla MLA Gorle Kiran Kumar and others, who staged a protest over their custody, saying that the police had no right to prevent them from participating in the scheduled agitation in Srikakulam.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Krishna Das said that the government had failed to provide adequate quantity of fertilizers to farmers who were being forced to form long queues at the depots to collect urea.

He said: “The incessant rains provided much needed relief and revived the hopes of a bumper yield. However, the government failed to supply seeds and fertilizers as sought by the farmers.”

YSRCP youth wing leader Dharmana Ram Manohar Naidu strongly condemned the arrests of YSRCP leaders when they wanted to submit petitions to officials over fertilizer shortage issue.