Farmers gheraoed BJP leader and MP Ananth Kumar Hegde in Mugat Khan Hubballi on Tuesday after he refused to answer their questions about pending compensation for losses they suffered in last year’s floods.
Mugat Khan Hubballi is in Kittur taluk in Belagavi district, which is part of the Canara parliamentary constituency that he represents.
He, along with officers, had arrived to inspect flood-affected villages near Kittur. A group of farmers that was waiting at Mugat Khan Hubballi Cross asked him to get out of his vehicle and answer its questions.
The farmers complained that the State government had not released appropriate compensation to those who lost crops or families whose houses had collapsed. They wanted to know why the Union government had not released flood relief amount sought by the State.
Mr. Hegde said that he could come once again to discuss such issues with them. But he did not get off his vehicle to talk to them. This angered the farmers who then raised slogans against the former Union Minister.
Mr. Hegde and other officers drove away from the village towards Kittur.
