Farmers supported by members of various Opposition parties took to the streets on Friday to register their protest against the farm bills in various districts of northern Karnataka, with road blockages ranging from several minutes to over one hour, disrupting normal traffic.
As the farmers’ associations have called for ‘Karnataka Bandh’ on Monday (September 28) on the issues concerning the farmers, Friday’s protest was symbolic in many places with the protesters restricting their agitation to blocking national highways at various points. In some places the police took some of them into custody to clear the traffic and later released them.
During the protest staged by farmers near Rayapur located between Hubballi and Dharwad, the police took KPCC media analyst P.H. Neeralakeri and others into custody after they insisted on continuing the hour-long road blockade. Former MLA N.H. Konaraddi was part of the protest. Police led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Anusha cleared the Hubballi-Dharwad road. Due to the road blockade, the police had diverted the traffic via alternate routes.
In Hubballi, members of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene, Hasiru Kranti Trust, various trade unions, former MLA N.H. Konaraddi, Congress leaders Rajashekhar Menasinakai, Babajan Mudhol, Bangaresh Hiremath and others including Siddu Teji and B.A. Mudhol staged a symbolic protest at Kittur Chennamma Circle opposing the amendments to Land Reforms Act, APMC Act and others. Later a group proceeded to Hubballi-Dharwad Bypass Road and blocked the road for several minutes.
In Haveri, farmers congregated at Hosamani Siddappa Circle and staged protest under the aegis of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene and blocked the road for around half-an-hour. They urged the government to immediately withdraw the amendments, which they said were detrimental to the farming community.
In Gadag, the protest went on for over an hour with the farmers staging demonstration at Tipu Sultan Circle and blocking the main road. However, as the police had diverted the traffic through alternative routes, long distance travellers were not affected and there was no pile up of vehicles. Farmers’ organisations staged demonstrations and road blocks at all the taluk headquarters in the district condemning the State government’s decision on bringing amendments to various laws. Terming them anti-farmer, they demanded immediate withdrawal of the amendments. Similar protests were reported from various places in Davangere and Uttar Kannada districts.