TNI Bureau: The agitation by sugarcane farmers in Maharashtra has taken an ugly turn, as the protesters set a police vehicle ablaze in Karvir in Kolhapur. Several policemen are said to be injured in stone-pelting.
Violent incidents were also reported from Sangli, Maharashtra. The talks between the government and sugarcane farmers were failed yesterday. Additional companies of police personnel have been rushed to Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara.
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Two farmers were killed in police firing yesterday. The farmers torched several buses in protest. Lok Sabha MP Raju Shetty, the man who was leading the prtests, was arrested and put in Pune’s Yerawada jail. Raju Shetti is the President of Swabhimani Paksha, the political party which he founded in 2004. He represents the Hatkanangle constituency of Maharashtra.
The farmers are demanding a base price of Rs 3,000 per tonne. But the Sugar Co-operatives are offering just Rs 2,300. The NCP, which owns the majority of sugar co-operatives in Maharashtra, has rejected the farmers’ demand. However, its ally Congress is supporting the farmers’ demand.
The political war between the two allies in Maharashtra has put the lives of thousands of farmers at risk.