Bhimolu agitation: Ramakrishna arrested, released

Eluru: CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna alleged that the state government and police were using oppressive methods to curb agitations in the State.

He was arrested along with West Godavari CPI Secretary Dega Prabhakar at Kalaparru Toll Gate on National Highway while on their way to Bhimolu village in Gopalapuram mandal on Sunday morning. The police shifted the two leaders to Eluru 3-town police station.

Highlights:

• The CPI state secretary is on his way to address a public meeting in the village
• Accuses government of using oppressive methods to curb agitations

The CPI State secretary, while addressing the media at the police station said that the CPI is fighting for the rights of poor Dalits in Bhimolu village in Gopalapuram mandal over four decades. Even the party has taken up the agitation, no response from the government to favour the Dalits, he alleged.

He stated that the CPI has decided to hold a public meeting at Bhimolu demanding the government to distribute the 150 acres of land which belongs to the poor Dalits in the village. He criticised that the police obstructed the CPI cadre and leaders and prevented them from going to Bhimolu and prohibitory orders have also been implemented to obstruct them.

He said that the government and police were behaving in an undemocratic way by detaining the party leaders and workers who are on their way to a public meeting which will go on peacefully and democratically. Ramakrishna wanted to know whether the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was behind the poor Dalits or supporting zamindars of Bhimolu.

“It is shameful on part of the government to arrest the CPI leaders and workers who are fighting for the cause of poor people. We decided to organise the public meeting to mobilize the poor Dalits and motivate them to get back their lands from the hands of the proxies and landlords,” he noted. CPI district secretary Dega Prabhakar said that police and government have acted as dictators and arrested the CPI workers leaders like extremists. Later in the evening, the police released the leaders and activists.