Police Beat Farmers Who Want to Protect Their Lands

Machilipatnam: The land pooling programme of the Andhra Pradesh government took an ugly turn on Sunday, when police personnel manhandled farmers in Pothepalli village of Machilipatnam mandal in Krishna district.

As part of the land pooling programme, tehsildar Naradmuni went to Pothepalli panchayat office. However, villagers who gathered at the panchayat office demanded cancellation of the land pooling notification issued by the Andhra Pradesh government. They argued that they will lose livelihood if they give up their land and staged a sit-in at the panchayat office. They also announced the cancellation of programmes and events in the village till the withdrawal of the land pooling notification.

Police who reached the Panchayat office tried to disperse the farmers. Leaders of the protesters Kodali Sharma, P Nagubabu and CH Jayarao were held with their collars and dragged towards the waiting police jeeps. They also rained blows on the farmers during the melee. Women of the village also joined the protest. Several of them lied down on the roads and tried to block the path of the jeeps. An injured Kodali Sharma and Nagubabu were admitted to hospital.

Meanwhile, the CPM in a statement condemned the high handedness of the police. They demanded the immediate release of the farmers arrested by the police.