YSRCP condemns police brutality for questioning govt on farmers’ issues

Repalle, August 2: YSRCP strongly condemns the brutal police assault on Dalit leader Varikuti Ashok Babu, who was seriously injured for questioning the government’s neglect of farmers in Krishna Delta’s peripheral lands. YSRCP Krishna District President and former Minister Perni Nani visited Ashok Babu, who is undergoing treatment at Repalle Government Hospital, and expressed outrage over the incident. Speaking to the media, Perni Nani demanded accountability, asking, “Is it a crime to stand up for farmers? Does a TDP MLA’s directive justify such police brutality?”
The coalition government, since assuming power in June last year, has abandoned farmers, particularly in Vemuru constituency’s Bhattiprolu region, where agricultural losses have been catastrophic. Due to delayed water supply to canal-irrigated peripheral lands, farmers begin cultivation late, often in August, incurring significant costs. Last year, the government’s failure to clear silt from drainage canals led to floodwater ruining rice nurseries across 10,000 acres, devastating an entire season. This year, Ashok Babu’s protest to demand timely silt clearance prompted irrigation officials to act, but the local TDP MLA, Kanna Rao, halted the work for political reasons and incited police violence against the Dalit leader. “Is this the TDP’s commitment to farmers, silencing their advocates with violence?” Perni Nani questioned.
The government’s negligence continues to cripple farmers. Drainage canals, like the seven-kilometer Gangolu canal, remain clogged, obstructing water flow and threatening another season. Perni Nani warned, “Farmers will not tolerate this injustice. Even if police are unleashed, YSRCP will unite all democratic forces to fight for farmers’ rights.” He criticized the government for failing to learn from last year’s losses and demanded immediate action to clear canals before the Kharif season.