Ongole: Police foil farmers' Rail Roko

Ongole: The bid of protesting on the train tracks by the members of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee and other farmers' organisations and Left parties, as part of the 'Rail Roko' programme was foiled by the police in Ongole on Thursday. However, leaders of the farmers condemned the bulldozing constitutional rights of the State government by the Union government and arrest of the youth climate change activist Disha Ravi on sedition charges.

The AIKSCC Prakasam district convener Chunduru Rangarao, AP Rythu Sangham president Pentyala Hanumantha Rao, district secretaries Vadde Hanumareddy, Pamidi Venkatarao, Kisan Congress State vice-president Vallamreddy Rajagopal Reddy, Telugu Rythu district president Kondragunta Venkaiah, AP Rythu Coolie Sangham district secretary S Lalitha Kumari, Akhila Bharata Rythu Coolie Sangham leaders Koduri Nancharlu, Koduri Hanumantha Rao and others spoke at the protest in the front of the railway station in Ongole and alleged that the Union government is taking anti-constitutional decisions. They said that the central government can only make a model act on agriculture and send to the States for consideration of passing the bills in the State but cannot make the laws in Parliament.

They advised the BJP led government to repeal the three farm laws as a modest gesture at least now or face the ire of the farmers, farmworkers and other allied workers. They condemned the arrest of Disha Ravi on charges over tool kit and called it a heinous attempt to silence the people and activists demanding justice to the agitating farmers.