Prohibitory orders were enforced in Telangana’s Khammam district on Saturday, a day after chilli farmers ransacked the agriculture market yard to protest against the dropping prices of their crop, reported The Hindu. The Telangana Police, which imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, also took 271 Opposition party members into preventive custody to stop them from taking out rallies.
The farmers have been unhappy about the crashing prices of chillies despite having had a good harvest this season. Chillies were being sold Rs 3,000 a quintal instead of the Rs 10,000 per quintal farmers had demanded, The NewsMinute reported. On Friday, they went on a rampage and allegedly vandalised the Khammam market yard, breaking air conditioners, ceiling fans and furniture.
However, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao alleged that the vandalism was part of a political conspiracy hatched by Opposition leaders, reported Deccan Chronicle. Rao said he knew who were behind Friday’s incident. “If needed, cases will be booked against those involved,” he said. According to District Collector DS Lokesh Kumar, authorities were investigating a conspiracy angle, and criminal cases will be registered, reported NDTV.
The Communist Party of India(Marxist) and the CPI(Marxist-Leninist) have called for a protest in the district on Sunday and a joint agitation on May 2 in Khammam town to hold demonstrations against the crisis faced by chilli farmers, according to The Hindu.
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