Hyderabad: Alleging harassment at the hands of local Congress leaders, a farmer attempted suicide by drinking pesticide in Madhira constituency of Khammam.
The farmer, Jonnalagadda Mallikarjuna Rao, of Nagulavancha village, made the claims in a video while holding a bottle of pesticide moments before consuming it. He remains in a critical condition.
In the clip, Mallikarjuna alleged that Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka‘s followers have been threatening to take over his land for the last three days.
“For the past three days, they have been coming to my field every day, attacking me and demanding that a road be laid,” the farmer said in Telugu.
‘They are bulldozing through my field,’ says farmer
Mallikarjuna named Ambati Venkateswara Rao, the Market Committee Chairman and Congress mandal president, as one of the men allegedly issuing threats. The farmer said Rao and other leaders gathered at his place and insisted that a road must be laid.
“They claimed it will pass right through my field,” Mallikarjuna said, adding that there is already a one-kilometre road at the location.
“They are bulldozing right through my field,” he said. “We grew trees here, palm trees and all. They claim the road will take up an acre of my land. It is a path located on my registered (patta) land.”
Bhatti is backing us, do whatever you like: Congress leaders ‘threaten’ farmer
Mallikarjuna also said that the Congress leaders warned him of action by using Bhatti’s name. He said under the leadership of Ammata Venkateshwar Rao, the leaders even intimidated his relatives, saying, “Bhatti Vikramarka is backing us, do whatever you like.”
Mallikarjuna alleged that apart from verbal harassment, the leaders also claimed to register a case against him and report him to the authorities. “They are saying they will file a case against me, report me to the MRO (Mandal revenue officer or Tahsildar) or the SI (Sub-Inspector).
He said he had no other choice and is left completely alone. “I am thinking of drinking poison as soon as the excavator enters the area and ending my life.”
Mallikarjuna ended the video, saying the Congress leaders are ready to take over his field as they brought an excavator and parked it near the entrance.
He eventually drank the pesticide and was rushed to a hospital after his family noticed him. Villagers and Mallikarjun’s relatives later held a protest demanding strict action against the leaders who threatened the farmer.
