Protest in Ballari condemning arrest of farmers opposing land acquisition in Devanahalli
Activists of Samyukta Horata Karnataka staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office in Ballari on Thursday condemning the arrest of farmer leaders involved in the ongoing agitation against the forcible land acquisition in Devanahalli.
A formal appeal addressed to the Chief Minister was also submitted to the Deputy Commissioner's office calling for the immediate release of the detained leaders and a halt to the land acquisition process.
Addressing a gathering, leaders of Samyukta Horata Karnataka denounced the police action against farmers and activists who were peacefully protesting under their leadership in Devanahalli.
The Ballari district committee of the organisation strongly criticised what it described as police brutality against those resisting the government's coercive takeover of fertile agricultural land.
They said that farmers from 13 villages have been, for over 1,180 days, opposing the government's attempt to acquire 1,770 acres of their productive farmland for industrial development.
The protesting farmers argued that their land supports robust dairy farming and cultivation of fruits and vegetables and that the acquisition threatened their livelihood and food security.
They said that the land was under the shadow of 'land mafia', enabled by State policies.
'Despite holding three rounds of talks with farmers, the government recently announced its decision to proceed with acquisition. This is an anti-farmer move. We now feel that the government is actually serving land mafia at the cost of farmers,' an agitating farmer said.
The protestors also pointed out the apparent political hypocrisy of the ruling Congress, which had earlier opposed a land reform policy introduced by the BJP-led Central government.
'Now, the same Congress has adopted that policy after assuming power, betraying the trust of farmers. The law in force prevents acquisition of agricultural lands without the consent of farmers. Yet, the State is using both force and legal manipulation to acquire land. This a grave betrayal of Karnataka's farming community,' district secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) Satyababu said.
The protestors declared that they will not stop their agitation until land is returned to farmers.
'This acquisition decision, which is set to push farmers onto the streets, must be revoked,' said district president of All India Kisan Khet Majdoor Sangathan Govind, calling for unconditional release of all arrested farmer leaders and demanding that the acquisition process be abandoned.
Many leaders from different organizations, including Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (HAS) district president Sanganakallu Krishnappa, district secretary Lepakshi, Jagrutha Mahila Sanghatane leader Chandrakumari, All India Kisan Khet Majdoor Sangathan district secretary Guralli Raj, Dalit Sangharsh Samithi (Ambedkarite) State organiser H. Huseinappa, Democratic Youth Federation of India district leader Erriswamy and Bahujan Samaj Party State secretary Shakuntala Devi, participated in the protest.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
35 minutes ago
- NDTV
Medical Exam Rules Out Sexual Assault Of Woman Who Died At Delhi Hospital
New Delhi: The Delhi government on Thursday said that medical examination of a 23-year-old woman who died during treatment at a government hospital showed no signs of sexual assault, despite allegations to the contrary. The statement came after the Opposition slammed the BJP-led Delhi government over the matter, flagging the "deteriorating" law and order situation and "crumbling" health infrastructure in the national capital. The woman was allegedly molested by a patient in the same ward at the Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital, where she was initially admitted. She was later referred to the GTB Hospital, where she succumbed during treatment. The accused, identified as Mohammed Faiz, a resident of Kachchi Khajuri, was arrested soon after, police said. "A committee of senior doctors/officials was constituted on June 23 at Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital to inquire into the matter. As per reports submitted by the medical superintendent (MS) of JPCH, it was revealed through medical examination of the victim that no physical or sexual assault was found," the government statement said. The hospital reports claimed that the woman was found lying unconscious on June 21 in Sonia Vihar. She was brought to the Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital by Delhi Police and was given proper treatment, the statement said. On June 22, the woman was moved from the casualty ward to the high dependency unit (HDU). She allegedly went missing from the HDU in the wee hours of June 23 and was later found on the hospital premises that afternoon. She was referred to the GTB Hospital on June 23 evening with a diagnosis of suspected poisoning. She passed away the next day during treatment. The statement also stressed that CCTV cameras were functional outside the HDU of JPCH, and as part of the inquiry into the incident, necessary footage was collected and handed over to the investigating officer. "On the basis of the committee findings and CCTV footage, the details of the on-duty nursing officer, sanitation staff and security guard have been shared with the investigating officer on June 25, and further investigation is being carried out by Delhi Police," the statement said. The woman's post-mortem will be conducted at the GTB Hospital after completing the necessary legal procedures. Her body is currently in the mortuary, and her close relatives and acquaintances are being traced, the statement said. Earlier in the day, former Delhi health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the government of trying to cover up the incident. "I have never heard of anything like this before that a patient who came to the hospital for treatment was raped and later died. The government made significant efforts to cover up the incident. Government schools and hospitals are deteriorating," Bharadwaj, also the AAP Delhi convener, said. He also claimed that in 2013, a patient was sexually assaulted in the same hospital. "In 2013, during the Congress' tenure, there was a rape incident involving a patient at Delhi's Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital, though it did not result in death. The current case signals that the pre-2013 system is returning in Delhi," he charged. Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav said the incident "fully exposed the crumbling healthcare system, weak security arrangements in hospitals, and the deteriorating law and order situation in Delhi". He also accused the Delhi government of squandering taxpayer money to gloat over its "achievements" of the past 100 days.
NDTV
35 minutes ago
- NDTV
RSS Leader Calls For Debate On Words "Socialist", "Secular" In Preamble
New Delhi: Dattatreya Hosabale, the general secretary of the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, today said the fate of two words in the preamble of the constitution - "Socialist" and "Secular" -- should be decided through debate. "During Emergency, two words Secular and Socialist were added to the Constitution, which were not part of the original Preamble," Mr Hosabale said at an event organised on 50 years of the Emergency. "Later, these words were not removed. Should they remain or not, debate must happen on this. These two words were not in Dr Ambedkar's Constitution. During Emergency, the country had no functioning Parliament, no rights, no judiciary and yet these two words were added." On the occasion, he also took a jibe at the Congress, and without naming him, its senior leader Rahul Gandhi. "The people who did this (imposed Emergency) are roaming around with copies of the Constitution today. They have, to date, not apologised to the people of India for this," he said. "You put more than 1 lakh people in jail, kept more than 250 journalists in jail, violated fundamental rights, and forced 60 lakh Indians to undergo sterilisation... You ended the independence of judiciary. Have all the people who did this apologised to the country? If it was not you but your ancestors, then you have to apologise in their name," he added. The BJP's move to name the 50th anniversary of Emergency -- - imposed by the government of the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 -- as the "Samvidhan Hatya Divas (Murder of Constitution Day)", has opened a new front with the Congress. The two parties have been again at loggerheads since yesterday, with leaders from JP Nadda to Union home minister Amit Shah ripping into the Congress. The Congress has responded sharply in face of the concerted BJP attack . "Those who never contributed to the freedom struggle or constitution-making are now claiming to defend it," said party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. "PM Modi is repeatedly invoking a period that the country has moved past. He is making an issue out of something that people have already forgotten," he had added. Apart from BJP-backed programmes in various states, the Union Cabinet adopted a resolution to honour the sacrifices of those who resisted Emergency. The ministers also observed two-minute silence against the excesses committed back then.
India Gazette
35 minutes ago
- India Gazette
"Caste is one factor, but not the only factor": Prashant Kishor on Bihar's voting behaviour
Patna (Bihar) [India], June 26 (ANI): Ahead of the upcoming Assembly Elections in Bihar, Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor said that caste is not the only factor in the Bihar polls. In an interview with ANI, replying to the question of caste politics in Bihar, Prashant Kishor cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's success in the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar as an example, arguing that caste is not the only poll plank. The Jan Suraaj Party chief said, 'In Bihar, for the past 15 years, the BJP has been getting a lot of success in the Lok Sabha elections. Most people believe that the BJP is not getting success, it is voting in the name of PM Modi.' 'You said that every person in Bihar votes on caste based politics. And in Bihar, you are saying that a vote is being made in the name of Modi. So, tell us how many people live in Bihar who belong to Modi's caste? And if they don't live, then how did they vote for Modi? If every person is voting on caste, then tell us who voted for PM Modi in Bihar? Because there is no one from Modi's caste in Bihar,' he told ANI. Kishor added, 'This means that people have voted in the name of PM Modi, apart from their caste. Whether they do it in the name of Hinduism, for Hindu-Muslims, for Ram Mandir, for development or nationalism, it is a different issue. But they are not doing it in the name of caste.' Taking former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's example, he said that there is an M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) classification in Bihar, where even the Muslims vote for Lalu Yadav even though they do not belong to his caste. Kishor told ANI, 'Look at Lalu. People say that in Bihar, there is an M-Y classification. So Y is his caste is M-Muslim. 18% are Muslims. He (a Muslim voter) is not of Lalu's caste. Why does he vote for Lalu? He doesn't vote because he is of a caste, but because he can't vote for the BJP. He votes for Lalu out of fear. So, caste is one factor. But caste is not the only factor.' Bihar elections are expected to be held later this year in October or November; however, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not yet announced the dates. While the NDA, consisting of the BJP, JD(U), and LJP, will once again be looking to continue their stint in Bihar, the INDIA bloc, consisting of the RJD, Congress, and left parties, will be looking to unseat Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Prashant Kishor has presented his party, Jan Suraaj, as another alternative in the state. He announced that the party would contest in 243 seats. (ANI)
