Scores of farmers representing Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and Hasiru Sene staged a demonstration against the State and the Union government for their alleged anti-farmer policies, on Thursday.
They formed a human chain near the APMC Yard and blocked the Mysuru-Nanjangud highway for some time and raised slogans against the government. Badagalpura Nagendra of KRRS said the farm bills passed by the Centre and the State would leave the farmers in the lurch. He claimed the laws were pro-corporate and anti-farmer and wanted them to be withdrawn.
He said the government took the ordinance route to pass them. and In Punjab and other parts, there was a people’s movement and State governments led by the Opposition parties have rejected the same and have brought in their own acts. Yet, the Centre has not taken cognisance of the farmers’ sentiments, said Mr. Nagendra.
He said all the amendments introduced by the government were linked to farmers and agriculture and went against their interest. “The amendments will affect farmers, daily workers and even consumers in the long run and more than 300 organisations have joined hands to protest against them.’
He said the BJP had demonstrated its “anti-farmers, anti-workers’’ approach by passing these bills and the agitation would be intensified in the days ahead. The farmers also burnt a copy of the bills to register their protest.
They said will assemble in front of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru and lay siege to it till the farm bills were not withdrawn.
