50 BJP workers arrested, stage dharna on farmers' issue

Hyderabad, Jun 18 (UNI) More than 50 BJP workers, including state president Bandaru Dattatreya, were arrested when they were staging a dharna in front of the Ranga Reddy Collector office, demanding that the government provide Rs 1,000 per quintal as remunerative prices for paddy and supply seeds and fertilizers to farmers.

As soon as the protesters sat on a dharna before the Colletorate, police immediately arrested them as the office was located in the heart of the city.

Speaking to newspersons, Mr Dattatreya alleged that the government had failed to supply seeds and fertilizers to farmers in the kharif sowing season and sought withdrawl of cases against the farmers, who participated in the agitation at Armoor in Nizamabad district on June 16.

Demanding that the government also release a 'white paper' on the supply of seeds to the farmers and allocation of funds for the farming sector, he said the BJP would intensify its agitation if the government failed to respond positively on their demands.

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