India

Now BJP-ruled Karnataka witnesses farmers agitation over controversial Farm Bills, roads blocked in Bengaluru

Pic: Twitter

Bengaluru: Thousands of the farmers belonging to the BJP-ruled Karnataka state of India along with pro-farmer organisations backed by a number social and political outfits, on Tuesday joined the protests in Bengaluru city against the new farm laws passed by the Parliament of India last week.

Besides other laws, the protestors were specifically agitating against changes to the land acquisition act — which makes it easier for non-farmers to buy agricultural land — and amendments to the APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committees) Act, which lists rules for procuring farm produce.

The amendment to the KLR Act lifts restrictions on purchasing agricultural land and enables any individual to purchase it. Priorly, the law permitted only the farmers to purchase agricultural land in the state.

The repeal of certain provisions in the APMC Act through an amendment allows private players to directly purchase agriculture produce from farmers, which was prohibited earlier.

The protesters alleged that these laws will ruin the agriculture sector as people with moneybags will purchase agricultural land to convert their black money into white and turn agriculture land into real estate business.

Hundreds of farmers were seen holding demonstrations outside the Town Hall in Bangalore by noon and others blocked roads in parts of the city until they were ordered to move by the police, reports said.

“They are lying to farmers. Narendra Modi is a liar and to bring what he says into practice in this state, Yediyurappa is also repeating the lie. This is all against farmers,” K Chandrashekhar, the chief of Farmer’s Federation of Karnataka, was quoted in a report by a Delhi-based news organisation NDTV.

Referring to the statewide strike as “not a success”, the state, according to the report, was “keen to ensure that the situation remains normal”, and had allegedly “ensured strict security on roads and the availability of transport”.

“One thing is very clear, both Narendra Modi and BS Yediyurappa are harmful to agriculture,” Randeep Surjewala of the Congress was quoted saying in the report.

“The farmers are agitating. This anti-farmer, anti-farm labour government continues to diabolically suppress and stifle the voice of the farmer. We stand united with the farmer until the land reform bill and the APMC Act are withdrawn, our struggle will continue,” he added.

Saying they want to keep the farmers as “slaves”, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar on Saturday had opposed the proposed amendments.

“Entire lands of the farmers have been taken. It is a very bad amendment that they have brought. They have brought amendments to buy lands from the farmers. They want to keep the farmers as slaves so we are opposing this tooth and nail,” Shivakumar told NDTV.

“Because of farmers support I am sitting in this seat today,” said Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

“Farmers are very educated now. They know what to do, what not to do… I will go around the state and meet all the farmers who do not trust the new laws and explain the issue to them,” he added.

 

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