Daijiworld Media Network – Bellary (SP)

Bellary, Jan 21:  The farmers and leaders of various organizations staged a protest in the city on Tuesday January 19, against the state revenue minister, G Karunakar Reddy. They were angry at the statement of Reddy that those who were spearheading an agitation against the acquisition of farm lands for the proposed airport near here, were ‘fake agriculturists’.

The farmers, opposing the setting of a greenfield airport near Chaganoor and Sirivara in the taluk,  came in a procession to the city, but were stopped by the policemen. While the policemen said that farmers did not hold any permission to organize the protest, the farmers insisted that they do not need any licence to fight for their rights.

The farmers thereafter, congregated near Durgamma Temple in the city, where they blocked the road for about an hour. Thereafter, they burnt an effigy and portrait of Karunakar Reddy, apart from raising slogans.  They then arrived at the Royal Circle and consumed the ‘post-funeral rites feast’ of the minister. Farmer leader from Chaganoor, Mallikarjun Reddy, V S Shivshankar of the Pranta Raita Sangha and K Nagabhushan Rao of CPI led the protestors.