Hyderabad: Farmers in parts of Telangana on Monday, November 11, protested against the proposed pharma city project of the state government.
The Telangana farmers protested under the banner “Go back Pharma” and voiced their opposition, claiming that the development of the city would poison their fertile agricultural lands. When the district collector and his team arrived to negotiate with the protesters, the crowd’s hostility intensified.
In Vikarabad district, a group of farmers physically assaulted district collector, Prateek Jain and Kodangal development authority officials. The farmers attacked Jain’s vehicle with stones; two other vehicles were also destroyed.
They demanded the halt of forced land acquisitions for the Pharma City project in Telangana, vowing to protect their fields “even at the cost of their lives.”
As the collector tried to engage in dialogue, the protesters began chanting slogans and physically pushing back demanding that the Telangana government’s Pharma City project be cancelled.
The situation quickly spiralled out of control, forcing Prateek Jain and his team to retreat to their vehicles. As they attempted to leave, protesters began pelting stones at the officials’ cars, causing damage to the collector’s vehicle. Jain had to duck to avoid the stones, and the driver had to speed away to ensure their safety.