Telangana Rashtra Samithi leaders and cadre, who have launched a massive agitation against the Centre’s indifferent attitude towards purchasing paddy from the state during the Rabi season, blocked the national highways on Wednesday.
A large number of TRS workers and leaders staged a rasta roko on four national highways connecting Mumbai, Nagpur, Vijayawada and Bengaluru at several places as part of the agitation.
The highways were blocked at Sangareddy, Nirmal, Suryapet and Bhootpur, bringing the traffic on these four national highways to a grinding halt for three hours.
Braving scorching temperatures, they sat for a dharna demanding that the Centre procure the entire paddy from Telangana, without any conditions.
Since 9 am, the TRS leaders along with farmers came onto the roads and staged demonstrations.
Top leaders including Ministers A Indrakaran Reddy, Puvvada Ajay Kumar, Ch Malla Reddy and others participated in the demonstrations held on the national highways in various parts of the State.
In many areas local MLAs and the party district presidents led the protests against the Centre’s discrimination.
While Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar and the TRS leaders staged a dharna in Khammam against the Centre’s refusal to buy paddy from Telangana, Endowments Minister A Indrakaran Reddy took part in a protest organised at Kadthal on Hyderabad-Napgur national highway. Medak MP Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, Patancheru MLA Gudem Mahipal Reddy will participate in dharna on NH-65 at Patancheru.
The road blockades were organised at Kadthal and Adilabad on Nagpur national highway, Bhoothpur on Bengaluru national highway, Kodad, Suryapet, Nakirekal and Choutuppal on Vijayawada national highway and Sangareddy on Mumbai national highway.
Traffic was brought to a halt for several hours, with inter-State transportation especially trucks and containers forced to be parked on the roadside. The protests came to an end by 12 noon.
