The YSR Congress party’s attempt to highlight the plight of farmers due to shortage of urea and lack of remunerative prices for onions and other crops had to meet with stringent restrictions from the police.
The party leadership gave a call for “Annadata Poru” on Tuesday and planned a series of rallies, dharnas and agitations at market yards and other places.
The protest was to demand the immediate supply of urea and to expose black-marketing that has left farmers in distress.
YSRCP leaders said farmers were forced to buy fertiliser at double the market price, while the government turned a blind eye.
But the police quickly swung into action and suppressed them.
According to sources, the police invoked Section 30 of the Police Act (which the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government used to do to suppress the TDP protests in the past) and banned all the protest rallies.
Notices were served to former ministers, MLAs, former MLAs, mandal-level leaders, and even grassroots workers, warning that cases would be filed if they attended the programme.
In many places across the state, key leaders of the YSRCP were kept under house arrest to prevent their participation.
The party accused the coalition of acting in a dictatorial manner by threatening anyone who raised their voice for farmers.
Tension gripped Nandigama after police blocked a rally organized by YSRCP leaders.
Despite police directions to hold the event within rules and submit representations to RDO/MRO with only a small delegation, party cadres ignored these instructions.
Authorities had clearly stated that no permissions were given for processions or rallies. As YSRCP leaders defied the rules, police stopped their rally. This led to heated arguments between YSRCP leaders and the police.
MLC Jaganmohan and other party leaders staged a sit-in protest on the road, raising slogans. The situation quickly turned tense in the area, with police and protesters locked in confrontation.