MYSURU: Farmers in Mysuru vented their ire over the controversial farm laws on MNCs like Reliance by knocking on the doors of the Jio outlet in the city to port out their mobile connections from the network as a symbolic protest and in solidarity with protesters in New Delhi.
Across the country, MNCs like Reliance and Adani have been at the receiving end following the protests by farmers against the controversial farm laws with states like Punjab reporting widespread damage to towers of the Reliance Jio network.
In Mysuru, farmers led by Kurubur Shanthakumar, President of the Karnataka State Sugarcane Owners Association, crowded outside the Jio store on DD Urs Road demanding to port out from the network.
However, anticipating the protest, the shop had downed its shutters. Several Reliance-owned establishments in the city were cordoned off by police as a precautionary measure.
Speaking at the protest, Kurubur Shanthakumar said the government is hurting the interests of farmers by not heeding their concerns and favouring corporates like Ambanis and Adani.
He also criticised the Union government for being stubborn against the demands of the farmers, leaving them out in the winter chill for so long. "We have lost over 53 farmers in the protests, yet the government is adamant on their stance," he said.
He said that in the coming days, they will intensify their boycott of Reliance and Adani products in solidarity with the protesting farmers in New Delhi. Kurubur also appealed to fellow farmers from across the state to follow the same.
The protesting farmers later headed to outlets of other private networks as well as the state run BSNL store to port out their number.