VISAKHAPATNAM: In response to the ‘Jail Bharo’ call given by the All India Kisan Sabha against the ‘anti-farmer’ policies of the BJP-led NDA government, thousands of farmers courted arrest in the State on Thursday.
Farmers and agricultural workers, led by Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham president Y Kesava Rao, picketed the Collectorate in Machilipatnam demanding a better deal. About 650 farmers were arrested when they tried to storm into the Collectorate to submit a memorandum to the District Collector. Similar protests were organised in Vijayawada, Eluru, Bhimavaram, Visakhapatnam, Kadapa, Kurnool, Anantapur. In all, protests were organised at 25 places in 13 districts.
Raising slogans against the Centre, the farmers demanded that PM Modi step down for his ‘failure’ to improve the lot of small and marginal farmers by implementing the recommendations of MS Swaminathan Committee.