Karnataka: BJP leaders detained during Suvarna Vidhana Soudha siege attempt in Belagavi

Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 9 The Karnataka Police have detained the BJP leaders and farmers when they attempted to lay siege to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi on Tuesday.

After holding a large protest at the Malini City Grounds in Belagavi condemning the "farmer-unfriendly policies" of the "corrupt Congress government", BJP leaders and farmer representatives marched towards the Suvarna Vidhan Soudha in an attempt to lay siege.

The police detained the BJP leaders and the farmers while they were on their way to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha.

Those detained included State BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, Chief Whip of the Opposition in the Legislative Council N. Ravikumar, BJP MLC C.T. Ravi, State BJP General Secretary P. Rajeev, BJP MLAs, MLCs, party leaders, and local leaders.

Earlier, State BJP President Vijayendra while speaking at a large protest organised by the party at the Malini City Grounds on Tuesday, criticised the Congress government, saying that the only achievement of the state government in the past two-and-a-half years is the suicide of 2,500 farmers.

He said the corrupt Congress-led government is pursuing "farmer-unfriendly policies".

He also warned that this (Congress) "anti-farmer" government will not survive for long.

People are asking whether the state government has responded to the distress of the state's farmers, State BJP President Vijayendra said.

He criticised the Karnataka government for failing to address the problems of farmers cultivating paddy, sugarcane, cotton, maize and other crops.

He alleged that during the recent heavy rains, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah did not visit the affected areas on the ground and instead conducted only an aerial survey.

He urged the people of the state to understand the farmer-unfriendly policies of the Congress-led state government.

He said that the Karnataka government has the authority to offer a Minimum Support Price (MSP) higher than the fair and remunerative price (FRP), but asked why Siddaramaiah had not done so.

He called the Congress-led state government "a disgrace".

State BJP President Vijayendra demanded that issues of north Karnataka and the distress of farmers be discussed in the Assembly.

Recalling former CM B.S. Yediyurappas consistent pro-farmer protests, State BJP President Vijayendra said, "As Yediyurappa's son and as the State BJP President, I will always stand by farmers."

He asserted that the farmers of the state will not stop their protest until justice is delivered to them.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, R. Ashoka, said that the voice of farmers should reach both the Suvarna Soudha and the Vidhana Soudha.

He added that the protest by BJP will continue inside the Assembly as well.

He criticised the Congress government in the state, saying, "There is no government in Karnataka; it is dead."

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, said that several regions in the state have suffered heavy rainfall, resulting in crop loss.

"Cotton, tur, urad -- everything has been destroyed. The state government should have listened to the farmers' problems and solved them. But this "anti-farmer" government is behaving in a way known to everyone," he said.

He recalled that the BJP had formed teams and visited various regions in the state to assess the situation.

Opposition Chief Whip in the Legislative Council, N. Ravikumar, said that the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government must address the problems of farmers, failing which it should step down.

BJP MLC C.T. Ravi expressed concern that Karnataka now ranks second in the country in terms of farmer suicides.

He demanded urgent measures to alleviate the distress of farmers in the state.

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