A video shot by a farmer from Khammam alleging that his land was being encroached upon by local Congress leaders, shortly before he consumed pesticide, has sent shock waves throughout Telangana.
The deceased had shot the video to draw the attention of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu urging them to deliver justice to his family.
The deceased was identified as 46-year-old Bojadla Prabhakar, a farmer of Proddutur village in Chintakani mandal of Khammam district. His three acre land had been encroached by five villagers who had used an earthmover to mow his plot. The video surfaced on the social platform ‘X’ in which a tearful Prabhakar stood with a bottle of pesticide and complained that he had approached the local Tehsildar and police with his complaints but in vain. He had also reached the collectorate where the collector held weekly grievance meetings but the staff had told him that time had run out.
“My attempts to bring the issue to the notice of district authorities at grievance redressal meeting were futile. I had cast my vote for the Congress party with the hope that it will be a pro farmer regime but now I am left with no other option but to take the extreme step,” the farmer said in the video. Apparently, he had then called up his family and consumed the pesticide. He was found under a mango grove and passed away before he could be shifted to a hospital.
The incident not only sent shock waves throughout the state, it also came as a massive embarrassment for the ruling Congress, particularly since it occurred in Madhira constituency represented by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhikramarka. Also agriculture minister Tummala Nageshwara Rao comes from Khammam district. As Opposition BRS and BJP raised the issue on social media, a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office confirmed that a probe has been launched.