Farmers Movement Archive

Police detain over 40

As the nation-wide rail roko protest by farmers against the Centre’s contentious farm laws started, scores of protesters gathered outside the railway station, demonstrating against the BJP-led Union government. The protest was led by former MLA B.R. Patil. Members of various pro-farmer organisations, including All India Kisan Sabha, Karnataka Pranth Raita Sangha, Raita Krishikarmikara Sanghatane, Ikya Horata Samiti, Republican Party of India, Dalit Sangharsh Samiti, under the banner of Samyukta Horata Karnataka, participated in a two-hour protest, They were detained by the Kalaburagi Police after they tried to scale the barricades and barge into the railway station. There was heavy security deployment outside the railway station from Wednesday night itself to ensure that no untoward incident occured. No train was cancelled or diverted during the rail roko agitation. Mr. Patil accused the Centre of not paying heed to farmers demands to roll back the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act. Raita Krishikarmikara Sanghatane leader H.V. Diwakar expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP), leaving the agrarian community at the mercy of big corporates. In Bidar Meanwhile, the Bidar District Police stopped the entry of agitators into the railway station there during the rail roko protest, which led to a heated exchange of words between the agitators and the police on Thursday.

The Hindu

2021-02-19

KALABURAGI,KARNATAKA