Farmers block roads in Karnataka, several detained

Bengaluru: Bengaluru roads on Saturday witnessed traffic jams as farmers blocked roads as part of nationwide "chakka jam" organised by farmer organisations against the three contentious laws passed by the Union government. Farmers gathered at places like Mysore Bank Circle, Sadahalli Gate, Devanahalli Road, Yelahanka New Police Station Circle.

At some places police detained protestors to clear the roads for traffic movement. Farmers holding protests outside Yelahanka and Devanahalli police stations were detained when they disrupted airport-bound traffic by blocking the national highway. Meanwhile, pro-Kannada leader Vatal Nagaraj, who joined the farmers, was also detained from Mysore Bank Circle.

According to reports, farmers across the State held similar traffic blockades on national and state highways to show solidarity with the farmers in Delhi. The police department said that major road blockades were also held in Mandya, VC farm gate, Bangalore- Mysore Highway; Srirangapatna- Bangalore Mysore National Highway; Kikkeri- Srirangapatna Hassan Highway; Nagamangala- near Bellur Cross, National Highway; Mysore- Ring road Circle, APMC Bandipalya; Mysore National Highway near Columbia hospital; Piriyapatna National Highway; KR nagar-Hassan State Highway; Chamarajanagar-Sathyamangalam road; Chamarajanagar- Gundlupete Highway 202.

Meanwhile, a delegation of farmers from Karnataka reached the Ghazipur border near Delhi on Thursday to show solidarity with the ongoing farmers' protest. Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Hasiru Sene led by farmer leader Kodihalli Chandrashekhar met Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait. Kodihalli said that nearly 4,000 farmers from Karnataka will join the protests at the Delhi borders after February 6.

Protesters courted arrest in some parts of the state including the capital city.

In view of the agitation, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters in the city that he has directed the police to ensure that vehicular movement is not affected and people are not made to suffer.

Elaborate security arrangements were made in the state.

Condemning the agitations, Union Minister for Chemical and Fertilisers D V Sadananda Gowda told media that the accusations made by the peasants were 'wrong' and said the Narendra Modi government has implemented the recommendations of Swaminathan Committee report to address the agrarian distress and farmers' suicide.

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at several Delhi border points since November last year, demanding that the government repeal the three farm laws and legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.