Farmers staged a protest in front of the Sambra airport in Belagavi where Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa held a meeting with officers and legislators on Tuesday.
They were protesting against the State government for amending the land reforms Act and the APMC Act, which they said were against the interests of farmers.
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) leader Jayashree Gurannanavar accused that the State government was colluding with the real estate and mining mafia to bring pressure on the small farmers to sell their land.
Farmers’ leader Choonappa Pujari argued that Mr. Yediyurappa who had come to power in the name of farmers’ welfare had turned against them and was supporting the industrialists instead. He also alleged that the chief minister refused to receive a memorandum from them.
The protesters raised slogans against the State government, Mr. Yediyurappa, and the ruling and opposition MLAs.
“What will you eat after all the land is gobbled up by the real estate and mining mafia?” “There will be no farmers left in Karnataka and all the land will be taken over by the Adanis and Ambanis” were some of the slogans raised during the protest.
Farmers’ leader Raghavendra Naik alleged that the city police had betrayed them after stopping them outside the airport gate, had assured them a meeting with the CM.
They refused to vacate the airport premises.
After some time, the police dispersed them, saying it would cause inconvenience to the passengers.
