The farmers of Amaravati announced that they were giving a break to their padayatra and resuming it with clear order from the high court. They announced this decision at Ramachandrapuram of Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema district on Saturday.

The decision was taken by the farmers following the police insisting upon them to show the identification cards of the participants in the padayatra. The high court on Friday had told the police to ensure that only 600 farmers who were given permission by the court earlier before starting of the yatra 42 days ago.

The State police have refused permission for the padayatra sensing trouble as the sentiments of the people who are supporting three capitals also increase. The Uttarandhra people are asking for executive capital at Visakhapatnam and the police sensed trouble if the Amaravati farmers conduct their padayatra in Uttarandhra region.

Meanwhile, the Amaravati farmers were facing stiff resistance from the supporters of the three capitals. Moreover, the farmers too are throwing open challenges to leaders like former minister Kodali Nani inviting trouble.

The court on Friday took strong exception to these developments and had advised the state police not to allow outsiders to join the padayatra. The court told the police to ensure that whoever is supporting the farmers should stand on both sides of the road when the farmers walk and not join the walk.

Accordingly, on Saturday, the police insisted on the farmers to show their identification cards to move forward in the padayatra. The police also did not allow outsiders to join the padayatra and told them the high court had given clear orders.

The police also refused to allow the vehicles which have no permission to follow in the padayatra. Protesting at the police action, the farmers announced that they would approach the high court and get clearance and resume the padayatra.

The police on Friday stopped the Amaravati farmers at Palasa in BR Ambedkar Konaseema district during the second half of their yatra. The police intercepted the farmers and asked them to show their identification cards before proceeding further.

The farmers protested against the police intervention and sought identification cards. They alleged that the police were behaving like the YSR Congress activists and tried to move forward leading to clashes between the police and the farmers.

The police said that they would not allow more than 600 persons in the padayatra as directed by the court. They said that the court had given permission to 600 persons and directed them to give those details to the police whenever they are asked.

However, the farmers refused to reveal their identity and protested against the police intervention.

Meanwhile, the high court on Friday directed the police to provide protection to the farmers during their padayatra. The court also told the police to verify the identification cards of the participants. The court also told the supporters of the Amaravati to stand on the road margin as a mark of support and greet the farmers when they walk through their village.

The court also directed the police to take special care to ensure that the supporters of three capitals or decentralisation or any others to restrain from approaching the Amaravati farmers during the padayatra.

The court wanted the police to protect the farmers. At the same time, the court told the farmers not to allow others into the padayatra without the permission of the local police.

The state government told the court that the farmers were making provocative statements and were criticising the government during their padayatra. The court showed some visuals in which the farmers were abusing the government and the ruling party leaders.

The Amaravati farmers launched their second leg of padayatra on September 12, marking 1000 days of their protest against three capitals. The farmers are currently walking in the West Godavari district.

They would be passing through the East Godavari, Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts before they reach the Sun temple in Arasavalli of Srikakulam district. The farmers have been making provocative statements through their meetings and press briefings as part of the yatra.

The ruling YSR Congress seems to have responded to these provocative statements, at least the gestures they made at Gudivada and the challenges thrown to local MLA Kodali Nani. The ruling party had asked its leaders to create awareness among the people on decentralization plans.

Party general secretary and government advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy had asked the party leaders to organise a wide range of programmes to create awareness programmes in their districts on the three capitals proposal and the decentralisation plans of the government. He had also asked the party leaders to visit nearest temples and offer prayers for the decentralisation.

Accordingly, the ruling party activists have put up flexi banners in support of the decentralisation. They have also put up posters and banners accusing the Amaravati farmers of leading a real estate yatra to support the opposition TDP.

The ruling party leaders are accusing the Amaravati farmers of leading the political battle in support of TDP and thus the yatra had become a political activity.

Looking at all these, political observers smell a law and order problem in the state if the yatra enters Uttarandhra, or even before that. The ruling party held round table conferences on decentralisation plans and is said to have plans to organise more such events.

Responding to this, TDP Rajya Sabha member Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar said that the government would have to hold responsibility if anything happened to the farmers. He said that there is a threat looming large at the farmers. He also alleged that the ruling party was provoking the people against the farmers. He blamed the government too for creating ripples among the people leading to law and order problems.

It is to be seen how the yatra would turn once it enters Visakhapatnam.

The police have diverted the padayatra of the Amaravati farmers in Tenali town on Wednesday to avoid clash with the ruling YSR Congress activists. The farmers have planned to walk through the Itanagar in Tenali, as the residents of the area have donated Rs 5 lakh for the padayatra.

However, the police foiled the plan as the ruling YSR Congress activists gathered at local MLA, Annabathuni Siva Kumar’s residence. The police told the farmers to take another route and avoid passing through the local MLA’s house.

The farmers insisted upon going through the road and tried to break the barricades and pushed the police. However, the police stopped the farmers and requested them to change their route in the town to avoid clashes and not to create law and order problems.

After some time, the farmers accepted the request of the police and took another road, giving a sigh of relief to the police. The police said that the high court had already advised the farmers to avoid clashes with the other groups and not to create law and order problems for the police.

The farmers alleged that the police and the ruling YSR Congress leaders were trying to create problems for the padayatra. The farmers also alleged that the ruling party leaders were trying to use the police to stop their padayatra by showing some law and order problems.

The farmers also accused the ruling party leaders of waiting for an opportunity to clash with the farmers. It is to be seen how the police would handle the issues when the farmers padayatra comes across the counter rallies of the ruling YSR Congress.

The long march of the Amaravati farmers marking 1000 days of their protest against three capitals, started at Venkatapalem in the morning on Monday and concluded at Mangalagiri on the first day.

The padayatra would reach Arasavalli sun temple in Srikakulam district. This is the second long march of the farmers in the last 1000 days. Last year, the farmers conducted the long march from Amaravati to Tirupati, where they held a public meeting, which was addressed by the leaders of all political parties, except the ruling YSR Congress and the CPM.

This time, when the farmers started the maha padayatra at Venkatapalem, the leaders of various opposition parties joined them and extended support to the farmers. There are about 200 farmers participating in the maha padayatra.

While the AP police have denied permission for the padayatra sensing law and order problem, the high court had given the clearance. The high court also directed the farmers to give their names and the identification cards to the police for want of security.

The court also directed the police to consider the farmers’ request for a public meeting at the end of the long march. The leaders of all political parties are likely to attend the public meeting, as they did in Tirupati public meeting last year.

Meanwhile, the ruling YSR Congress had condemned the padayatra alleging it as a drama of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu. Half-a-dozen ministers from the state have expressed fears over the law and order problem to the yatra as it would hurt the sentiments of the people who are supporting the administrative capital at Visakhapatnam.

It is to be seen how the police would handle the issue if the law and order problem arises as feared by the ministers and DGP K V Rajendranath Reddy.