BELAGAVI: In an attempt to halt the jail bharo agitation launched by sugarcane farmers, the police detained several farmer leaders, including Rajya Raitha Sangha president Chunnappa Pujeri, at Mukti Math in Belagavi on Thursday, shortly before the protest was scheduled to begin.
Farmers had prepared to launch the jail bharo agitation in a last ditch effort to intensify pressure on the state government to resolve the ongoing sugarcane pricing dispute. They had announced their readiness to court arrest to draw the government’s attention.
However, in a pre-emptive move, the police took Pujeri into custody even before the agitation could commence.
The detention triggered a sharp reaction from Pujeri, who accused the government of adopting double standards in dealing with the farmers’ agitation. He alleged that the government had remained silent when farmers blocked highways as part of their protests but had now chosen to deploy the police machinery to prevent them from launching a jail bharo movement.
The developments come amid growing impatience among farmers over the delay in resolving the sugarcane pricing issue, with growers insisting that their demands be addressed before the crushing season gathers momentum.
Meanwhile, condemning the police action, hundreds of lawyers boycotted court proceedings in Belagavi on Thursday and staged a massive demonstration. The lawyers stayed away from judicial proceedings and assembled at Chennamma Circle, where they raised slogans against the alleged police high-handedness.