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Amaravati farmers embark on Maha Padayatra
Farmers on ‘Amaravati-Arasavalli’ Mahapadayatra at Venkatapalem on Monday Photo: Ch Venkata Mastan
The 1,000-km Maha Padayatra of Amaravati farmers to mark completion of one thousand days of their agitation kicked off on Monday morning from TTD Sri Venkateswara Swamy devasthanam in Venkatapalem village of Amaravati capital region
Vijayawada: The 1,000-km Maha Padayatra of Amaravati farmers to mark completion of one thousand days of their agitation kicked off on Monday morning from TTD Sri Venkateswara Swamy devasthanam in Venkatapalem village of Amaravati capital region. It will end at Arsavalli in Srikakulam district.
A good number of the 600 participants in the Maha Padayatra are senior citizens who are above 60 years of age. According to them, despite their age constraints they have decided to join the padayatra as it is a matter of 'Chavo- Bratuko' (life or death).
A large number of people reached Venkatayapalem to give send off to the padayatra and this included women farmers.
A chariot of Lord Venkateswara designed for this purpose remained as an added attraction and several people, including political leaders vied with each other to pull the chariot to mark the inauguration of padayatra.
Former Union minister Renuka Chowdary and APCC working president N Tulasi Reddy who participated in the padayatra said the Congress party would extend its support to the padayatra.
She said that the state government has failed to protect the interests of farmers and raised three capital proposals. She felt that the farmers should not give credence to the comments being made by YSRCP leaders.
CPM leader state leader Ch Babu Rao said that the State Government should respect the padayatra since it was being taken out with the permission of the High Court.
Meanwhile, the opposition parties criticised the comments of Assembly Speaker T Sitaram who said this will be the 'Antima Yatra'. They said a person holding high constitutional position should desist from making such comments. He should respect the Court's decision. Former TDP ministers Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, N Ananda Babu, former MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar and others participated in the padayatra and raised Jai Amaravati slogans.
The yatra on Monday covered Krishnayapalem and culminated at Mangalagiri for a night halt. The police were positioned along the padayatra route.
In the wake of 'provocative' comments by ministers and YSRCP leaders, the yatra organisers anticipating trouble this time are utilising the services of bouncers to protect the participants from any kind of attack.
