As many as 50 farmers cultivating turmeric in Nizamabad, who went to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to contest the Lok Sabha elections against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had to taste the ire of local police as well as BJP activists.
According to farmers, soon after they landed in Varanasi on Friday night, they were haunted by the intelligence police. Since it is a sensitive constituency from where PM himself is contesting, the police are looking at the new comers with a lot of suspicion.
The cops questioned the Telangana farmers from where they had come and the purpose of their visit.
“They took our phone numbers and addresses and even threatened us if we contested the elections,” a farmer said.
At the office of district magistrate who is also the returning officer, the staff refused to give them nomination papers. Meanwhile, some BJP activists gathered there and shouted slogans against the Collector, forcing the police to disperse the farmers.
The farmers managed to collect their nomination papers with the help of a local lawyer, but they are unlikely to get the proposers to submit the nominations. Each candidate requires at least 10 supporters.
Though the farmers told the returning officer that they were not against any party or candidate and nor do they want to campaign against anybody, the police did not listen and threatened them.