The protest by sugarcane farmers in Belagavi district escalated on Friday after demonstrators gathered at the Hattaragi toll plaza on the Bengaluru-Pune National Highway, demanding fair pricing for their produce. Despite repeated instructions from the police to clear the highway, the crowd refused to disperse. According to SP Belagavi Dr. Bheemashankar S Guled, “When police tried to remove them, some people — probably miscreants — began pelting stones. At that time, police in their wisdom and self-control did not use any force.” Several vehicles were damaged, and six police personnel sustained injuries during the incident.
Dr. Guled stated that the authorities later engaged directly with farmer leaders to prevent further escalation. “We took the farmer leaders into confidence and spoke to them. We addressed the farmers and asked them not to take the law into their own hands or resort to violence. The farmers conceded to our request,” he said. The SP appealed once again for maintaining peace, urging farmers not to be influenced by elements trying to trigger unrest. He assured that only those responsible for violence will face legal action, saying, “I appeal to farmers again not to take the law into their hands and not fall into the hands of some conspirators. There has been damage to a few vehicles and injury to 6 police personnel. We are assessing the extent of the vehicle damage. We will have to register the case, identify the miscreants, and take action against them. No innocent person will be arrested.”
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This incident comes as protests by sugarcane farmers in Karnataka continue for the ninth consecutive day, reflecting rising frustration over what they say is the government’s failure to fix a fair procurement price amid increasing production costs. The stone-pelting episode follows another tense moment a day earlier when a slipper was thrown at the convoy of State Sugar Minister Shivanand Patil in Belagavi. As the assessment of damage and identification of miscreants is underway, officials emphasize that dialogue remains the preferred route to resolution, even as farmers vow to keep pressing for their demands.