Siddaramaiah writes letter to MP CM on farmers' detention

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday wrote a letter to his counterpart in Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav, requesting his intervention in the farmers' detention case.

The group of farmers from Karnataka were detained in Bhopal while on their way to the national capital for the ‘Delhi Chalo’ farmers’ protest.

The letter reads, “A group of farmers from Karnataka travelling from Bengaluru to Delhi to participate in a protest against the anti- farmer policies of the Central government have been detained in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh without any reason.

"It is four days since our farmers have been detained and yet they have not been released. It is now learnt that your police authorities are shifting them to Varanasi.

"Travelling to Delhi to participate in a peaceful protest is the Constitutional right of the people. It is highly unfortunate that farmers who are seeking better policies are being arrested and ill-treated by police authorities in Madhya Pradesh.

"I request you to personally look into this and immediately get the farmers released without shifting them from place to place,” says the letter.

CM Siddaramaiah also spoke to the farmers detained in Madhya Pradesh in the presence of Kuruburu Shanthakumar, President of Federation of Farmers Organisations, Karnataka. He inquired about their condition. He also assured them of their safe return.

Darshan Puttanaiah, MLA of the Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha, raised the issue in the Assembly and demanded that the state government should ensure the safe return of the farmers.