The first day of the three-day agitation call given by YSR Congress Party, protesting against the government allegedly reneging on its promise to completely waive the loans of farmers and self-help groups, passed off peacefully barring a few stray incidents, here on Thursday.
Mild tension prevailed at the Clock Tower Circle near Chandragiri, as sloganeering between YSRC cadres, led by Chandragiri Legislator Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, and ‘pro-loan waiver’ farmers, turned into a verbal joust.
From the beginning, members of both the parties staged a sit-down at the junction, raising slogans against one another. Police officials had a tough time negotiating with them as neither side showed signs of calming down.
While YSRC cadres demanded an immediate implementation of loan waiver as cited in the manifesto, pro-TDP farmers supporting the loan waiver alleged that YSRC party activists were camouflaged as farmers in the protest. Though, the police officials took away the effigy of the Chief Minister, YSRC cadres diverted the attention of policemen and later burnt another effigy.
In Tirupati, former MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy organised a human chain at the local Nalugu Kalla Mandapam terming the entire loan waiver issue as ‘eyewash’. He raised slogans demanding an immediate implementation of all the promises made in the government’s manifesto. Members of Telugu Yuvatha condemned burning of the effigies of Chandrababu Naidu as improper and urged YSRC leader Jagan to take the role of an opposition leader more responsibly.
