Karnataka farmers 'ill-treated' in Madhya Pradesh, release them: Siddaramaiah to Mohan Yadav

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday wrote to his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Mohan Yadav seeking the release of farmers from the state detained in Bhopal.

Siddaramaiah charged that the state’s farmers are being “ill-treated” by the Madhya Pradesh police.

Apparently, 70 farmers from Karnataka who were heading to New Delhi to take part in a protest against the Union government were detained in the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.

“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 without any reason. It has been four days since our farmers have been detained and yet they have not been released,” Siddaramaiah stated.

“It is now learnt that your police authorities are shifting them to Varanasi,” he stated.

“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,” he added.

Siddaramaiah urged Yadav to “personally look into this” and “immediately get the farmers released without shifting them from place to place”.