Belagavi (Karnataka), Nov 5 (PTI) Tension prevailed in Belagavi as sugarcane farmers attempted to launch a ‘Jail Bharo’ (fill the jail) agitation in defiance of prohibitory orders imposed by the district administration.
Police detained farmer leader Chunappa Poojari along with several protesters to prevent the demonstration.
The district administration has clamped prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) across Belagavi city to maintain law and order and protect public interest.
The ongoing agitation by sugarcane growers, demanding a hike in the procurement price for their produce, intensified, leading to a confrontation between the protesting farmers and the police.
Despite the restrictions, several farmers, led by Poojari, assembled at the Muktimath premises and prepared to launch a massive ‘Jail Bharo’ movement.
Police personnel rushed to the spot to prevent the protest, triggering heated exchanges and scuffles between the two sides. The situation turned tense as the police attempted to disperse the demonstrators.
Subsequently, police detained Poojari and other farmers and shifted them in police vehicles to various police stations and marriage halls.
Reacting to the police action, Poojari accused the State and Central governments of pursuing anti-farmer policies and attempting to silence the voice of the farming community.
He asserted that farmers were united in their resolve to intensify the agitation across Karnataka and demanded that the chief minister immediately announce a remunerative price for sugarcane.
“Even if we are detained, sent to jail, our agitation will not be withdrawn. If necessary, we will intensify the protest through statewide road blockades and a Karnataka bandh,” he warned.
Meanwhile, news of the detention of farmer leaders sparked protests in several taluks of Belagavi district, where farmers staged road blockades at various locations to register their opposition.
Belagavi City Police Commissioner Prakash Nikam, responding to queries from the media, said maintaining peace and public order and safeguarding the interests of citizens were the police department’s foremost priorities.
He said prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS had been imposed in view of the presence of several schools, colleges and major hospitals in key areas of the city, including Rani Chennamma Circle.
The restrictions were necessary to prevent inconvenience to students appearing for examinations and patients requiring emergency medical attention, he said.
Clarifying the police action, Nikam said more than 100 farmers who attempted to defy the prohibitory orders and stage the agitation had been taken into preventive custody as a precautionary measure.
He clarified that they had not been formally arrested but were temporarily detained, escorted outside the city and subsequently sent safely to their respective native places. PTI COR AMP ADB
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