Sugarcane farmers barge into Suvarna Soudha premise

Angry sugarcane growers, along with cane-laden trucks, barged into the premises of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha here on Sunday.

They were protesting after Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy reportedly backtracked from his assurance to hold a meeting with them here, to redress their grievances, on November 19 despite giving an assurance to this effect.

The sugarcane growers diverted the trucks heading to the sugar factories, from the national highway, and breached the security to enter the Soudha premises. Tension prevailed for some time as a result.

The farmers said they had withdrawn their indefinite semi-nude protest following the assurance. But the chief minister went back on their words, they said.

Kumaraswamy reportedly told the farmers to visit Bengaluru to discuss the issue. The chief minister's attitude towards the farmers had forced them to intensify their protest, they said.

The farmers are demanding that their dues be settled and the purchase price to be fixed for this year. They even tried to unload the sugarcane, but police thwarted their efforts. Subsequently, police took them into preventive custody. The farmers said police had committed atrocities on them.