Blaming what they called ‘faulty policies’ of the YSR Congress Party for the rising prices of fuel and its cascading impact on the rates of essential commodities, leaders and cadres of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Saturday staged protests across the 13 districts of the State.
Referring to an uncontrollable rise in the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas, the opposition leaders resorted to novel forms of protest to demonstrate the disenchantment of the common man hit by the inflation. Pulling a four-wheeler with ropes and carrying motorcycles on cycle rickshaws and bullock carts, they said prices of fuel had gone beyond the reach of the common man. The protests were staged in 175 Assembly segments.
Raising slogans against Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, they accused him of taking people of the State for a ride. They said at the time of elections, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy had severely criticised the TDP for price rise and had promised to the people that he would solve all their problems if voted to power.
The placards they held demanded immediate steps by the government to bring down the prices. They said if that was not possible, the Chief Minister should step down.
Padayatra by Atchannaidu
In Srikakulam district, the TDP State president K. Atchannaidu and MP Rammohan Naidu came in a padayatra up to the Kotabommali Rythu Bazaar from where a bike rally was planned to be taken out. But it had to be dropped as the police did not permit them to move ahead.
A maha dharna at the Dharna Chowk of Vijayawada city was joined by MLA Gadde Rammohan and former MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao. The former came in a cycle rally that started at Ashok Nagar. Pointing to the fact that the prices of petrol and diesel had crossed ₹100, they attributed it to the ‘inefficiency’ of the YSRCP government.
Former Minister Nakka Anand Babu led a cycle rally in Vemur Assembly segment. The party cadre placed a motorcycle on a bullock cart and pulled it with a rope before pushing the two-wheeler into a canal. They said unable to afford fuel prices, people were getting rid of their vehicles.
Former MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar rode a bullock cart at Denduluru to symbolise people’s inability to buy fuel. Former MLA Y.V. Anjaneyulu took out a rally from the party office up to the Taluka centre at Sattenapalli and staged a dharna.
At Pulivendula, a few leaders were put under house arrest.
