While 40 protesters were taken into preventive custody, 10 farmers were injured in the police lathi charge. They have been admitted to a nearby hospital.
Reiterating that they would not part with their lands, the protesting farmers, including women and leaders of a few organisations, accused the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) of "stealing" their lands. The police caned the farmers to thwart the protest. However, the agitators were arrested later.
Agitators said that the police did not spare them even when they took refuge in their homes. Infuriated over this, the farmers pelted stones at the policemen.
"The Chief Minister's move to hold a meeting on BMIC without taking the farmers on board is unfair," said Venkatachalaiah, Rajya Prantha Raitha Sangha, Bangalore City, District unit President.
He also accused the police of beating up the farmers who were staging a "peaceful" protest to press for their just demands. He demanded that action be taken against "goons" harassing the farmers on the diktats of NICE.
"The police are hand in glove with them as they booked false case against the protesting farmers," he alleged.
Venkatachalaiah demanded the immediate release of all the arrested farmers.
DH News Service
Published 27 June 2010, 19:24 IST