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Immediately release our farmers: Siddaramaiah to MP government
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah criticizes BJP over arrests of farm leaders heading to Delhi for protest. Calls it "highly condemnable" and demands release.
Bhopal:
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Monday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the arrests of Hubballi-based farm leaders in Madhya Pradesh, who were on their way to Delhi to participate in the farmers’ protest starting on Tuesday.
“The arrests of Hubballi farmers by the Madhya Pradesh government, as they were heading to a protest in Delhi tomorrow, is highly condemnable. I demand that the Madhya Pradesh government immediately release all the farmers of our state and allow them to participate in the protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar tomorrow,” the CM posted on X.
“Although the government of Madhya Pradesh has made the arrests, it is clear that the criminal brain behind this act is the central BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he added.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah alleged that the main aim of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is to intimidate the farmers.
“Whether it’s at the Centre or in the states, whenever BJP comes to power, history bears witness that their first act of aggression is against the farmers. The first time BJP came to power in Karnataka, farmers asking for fertilizer were ruthlessly shot down by the government led by BS Yediyurappa. Several farmers died due to the violence inflicted upon them in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh by Narendra Modi’s government at the Centre. Looking at the current actions of Narendra Modi’s government, it seems their main aim is to intimidate the farmers into submission,” the chief minister stated.
A police officer familiar with the development said farmers from Karnataka were on their way to participate in the protest when they disembarked at the Bhopal railway station on Sunday night.
They were detained under Section 151 (disturbance of peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), said the officer.
“They were arrested on the basis of an intelligence input regarding farmers’ protest in Delhi,” said the police officer.
Some farmers alleged that they were forcefully taken to a place during which a woman farmer got injured.
However, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) of Bhopal Ramji Srivastava said, “All the 75 farmers, including 25 females are safe. They were not arrested. They were stopped from going to Delhi and requested for maintaining law and order. They are staying in a marriage hall where they are being provided all the food and other facilities.”
When asked what if they don’t get agree to return to Karnataka, the DCP said, “After 24 hours, we will decide the next step according to the law.”
While Aam Kisan union leader Ram Inaniya was detained in Narmadapuram, Bhartiya Kisan union leader, Shivkumar Sharma and its president Anil Yadav were detained in Bhopal. In a message sent on WhatsApp, Anil Yadav said, he had been sent to jail on Sunday night and the police had kept Sharma at some unknown place, said those familiar with the development
Besides Hubballi farmers’ leaders, police also arrested Shivraj Rajoria, the president of Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangh from Narmadapuram district of Madhya Pradesh/
Also, leaders Mahesh Upadhyay and Sachin Sharma were nabbed from Pipariya. They were sent to jail by a sub-divisional magistrate court (SDM) court, an officer said.
“Police had received input that all three leaders were going to Delhi to participate in the protest so they have been arrested under IPC Section 151,” said Guru Karan Singh, the superintendent of police (SP) of Narmadapuram.
