BJP foiles farmers’ Karnataka bandh against agri laws

By G S Radhakrishna

Sep 28, 2020

Bengaluru. September 28:Even though the BJP Government in Karnataka ordered against closure of public utilities – buses , autos. , petrol pumps and banks and restaurants etc farmers across the state, exept three BJP dominated Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu districts staged massive protests at many key centres In Bangalore and district towns of Mysuru, Dharwad and Madhya as part of a day-long Karnataka bandh .

Hundreds of protesters who gathered at Mysuru Bank circle were detained

Some protestors staged demonstrations and gate crashed into Bangalore International Airport as well. A prominent farmer leader Kodihalli Chandrasekhar was taken into custody on the outskirts of thr city at KR Puram.

As heat of farmers agitations touched the BJP government, Chief minister BS Yediyurappa said “ wait for six months and see results.We are not closing the APMCs” .His invitation to protesting farmers for discussion was rejected and farmers refused to meet him. However, the Karnataka Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief DK Shivakumar met the protesting farmers and extended their support .

Hundreds of protestors besides workers of the Congress and JD(S) , labor unions and pro Kannada organisations were detained on Monday as part of Bharat Bandh to protest against the amendments to the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act and land reforms acts made by the B S Yediyurappa government.

“We have not given permission for any protests in the city. We will deploy 12,000 civil police, 47 KSRP, 24 CAR platoons in Bengaluru Bengaluru City Commissioner Kamal Pant said displaying the hostility of Yediyurappa govt against demonstrators.

The demonstrations were also against two important amendments to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act and the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act passed by the Karnataka Assembly last week.The amendment to the KLR Act lifts restrictions on purchase of agricultural land by any individual against earlier restrictions of selling only to another farmer.

The activists ofpPro Kannada organisation ‘Karnataka Rakshna Vedike’ s barged inside Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport. Farmers flooded and blocked the numerous highways- Mysore , Tumkur, Kolar,,Chikballapur, and Hosur strangling the inter state traffic and transport of vegetables and goods. The protests were staged at important locations in Bengaluru, Ramanagara, Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagara, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Tumakuru, Ballari, Raichur, Chitradurga, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Vijayapura, Bagalkote, Bidar, Belagavi, Uttara Kannada, UDharwad and Davangere among others.

Farmer leader Kuruburu Shanthakumar leading the agitation with 108 farmers outfits said the government had not consulted them and taken their opinions while bringing new laws at Center and amendments to state laws. A protest procession led by thousands of farmers from Town Hall to freedom park was broken and demonstrators were arrested.

Farmers blocked highways leading to Bangalore, Chennai ,Mumbai and Hyderabad using trucks,tractors and combine harvesters .Their attempts To stall trains were foiled by combined force of Railway police and state police .

–INDIA NEWS STREAM