A group of farmers led by Federation of Karnataka Farmers’ Associations president Kurubur Shanthakumar was arrested in Mysuru on October 24 when they tried to block the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway in protest against inadequate power supply to irrigation their pump sets.
Police arrested the farmers near Manipal Hospital on the Outer Ring Road junction of Bengaluru-Mysuru highway.
Mr. Shanthakumar had recently given a call to farmers to block roads on Vijayadashami to draw the Karnataka government’s attention to the plight of the farmers in view of insufficient power supply.
While industrialists have been assured 24-hour power supply, farmers are not receiving proper electricity supply for even 2 to 3 hours a day, he alleged. He alleged a ‘discriminative’ attitude towards farmers by the Karnataka government.
Condemning the government for arresting farmers, Mr. Shanthakumar said this Dasara is not a farmers’ Dasara. “It is a Ministers’ Dasara. This Dasara is for the Ministers to have fun,” he said.
Though farmers had informed authorities about their plan to stage a protest on Vijayadashami, there was no response from them. “But, they have arrested us. The police is not acting as per law. They are acting as the slaves of Ministers,” he alleged.
“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar and half the Cabinet is in Mysuru, but the government is not bothered about listening to the woes of farmers,” he lamented. “This anti-farmer and dictatorial government should be taught a lesson.”
