Surat: 30 KSG members detained over farm bill protest

Police detain farmers protesting against the New Farm Bill in Lucknow on Friday. (Express Photo: Vishal Srivastav)

Over 30 members of Khedut Samaj, Gujarat (KSG) were detained by Surat rural police on Friday when they were on their way to hand over a memorandum to sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) in Olpad town of Surat district opposing the farm sector bills passed by the Parliament recently.

Supporting the nationwide call for a complete shutdown to protest against the bills, hundreds of farmers under the aegis of KSG assembled at main market area in Olpad town in Surat district on Friday to hand over the memorandum to SDM office.

Before they could proceed to the SDM office, Olpad police detained 30 farmer leaders, including KSG Gujarat president Jayesh Patel and South Gujarat president Ramesh Patel.

All the detainees were taken to Olpad police station where they were kept for a few hours and then released in the afternoon.

When the police were detaining the farmers, some of the members escaped from the spot and handed over the memorandum to SDM R C Patel. The requested the President of India not to sign the bills.

KSG Gujarat president Jayesh Patel said, “The central government should have taken consent of the farmers’ organisations before passing the three bills in the Parliament. The bills are not in favour of the farmers and will ruin them.”

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