BENGALURU: Threats by police to farmers to stop them from entering Bengaluru in their tractors for the Republic Day protest, is unlikely to deter them from going ahead with the agitation on Tuesday. The Opposition Congress and JDS have extended support to the protest. Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant on Monday said they will not allow farmers to enter Bengaluru in tractors, although they can use other vehicles. “We will go ahead with our peaceful protest as planned, and there is no change in that,” farmer leader Kodihalli Chandrashekar said.
Nearly 20,000 farmers in around 10,000 vehicles, including tractors, are likely to take part in the protest, demanding that the Central and state governments repeal the farm laws. The tractor rally will start from Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) on Tumakuru Road and reach Freedom Park, after the Republic Day event attended by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is over.
Chandrashekar said if police stop farmers from entering Bengaluru, they would resort to a peaceful protest wherever they are. Urging the State government to allow farmers to hold a peaceful rally in the city, Chandrashekar said the authorities were trying to stop them from entering Bengaluru.
“Farmers are coming to Bengaluru to take part in a peaceful protest and not to disturb peace, and our rally will start only after the official celebrations for Republic Day are completed,” he said, warning the government that the farmers would resort to protests in all taluk and district headquarters if they were stopped from holding a peaceful protest in Bengaluru on Republic Day.“Is it a police raj? When permission has been given in other cities, why are police in our state denying us permission for a peaceful protest?” questioned State Sugarcane Growers’ Association president Kuruburu Shanthakumar.