Accusing the Congress-led State government of stalling pro-farmer programmes and indulging in vengeance politics, members and leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a protest in Dharwad on Monday.
Staging the protest under the aegis of BJP Raita Morcha, the BJP workers staged the demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Dharwad.
However, their attempt to register their protest by torching old tyres and photographs of Congress leaders led to a verbal clash between the protestors and the police.
And, ultimately, the police doused the burning tyres which further escalated the clash. The angry protestors were then pacified by senior police officials.
During the protest, the BJP members said that the Congress government has stalled various pro-farmer and people welfare programmes introduced during the previous BJP regime. They accused the Congress of being anti-farmer.
Taking exception to the government’s proposed move to withdraw the anti-cow slaughter Act and APMC (Amendment) Act, which allowed farmers to sell their produce outside APMC yards, they urged the government not to make it mandatory for farmers to sell their produce only in APMC yards. They also accused the government of withholding the Kisan Samman scheme.
They said that the government is diverting funds meant for other programmes and schemes for the sake of fulfilling the party’s five guarantees.
Leading the protest, Hubballi Dharwad Central MLA Mahesh Tenginkai said that the government is yet to compensate for the house and crop loss to monsoon rain. Incessant rain in North Karnataka has caused damage to several houses and crops. However, the government has not bothered to provide compensation to the affected people, he said.
Referring to the regions that have received deficit or no rainfall, he demanded that such regions be declared as drought-hit and relief package be announced for this season.
