The agitation by sugarcane farmers demanding fair prices and clearance of pending dues escalated sharply on Tuesday, with several parts of Belagavi district witnessing widespread protests and a total shutdown.
Farmers, supported by Kannada organisations, had called for a bandh in Athani, which soon spread to Chikkodi, Gurlapur, Jamboti, and Gokak, bringing normal life to a halt. Shops and businesses remained closed voluntarily, while farmers blocked major routes, including the Gokak–Athani road and the Darur–Halyal bridge, disrupting vehicular movement.
In Hukkeri, farmer associations enforced a complete bandh, demanding a revised minimum support price for sugarcane. The town came to a standstill as hundreds of protesters took out a massive rally from Adavisiddeshwar Mutt to Court Circle before staging a highway blockade and overnight sit-in. Police diverted traffic through alternate routes as protesters erected barricades and parked earth-moving machines across the roads.
Vijayendra joins protest, backs farmers
At Shivayogi Circle, hundreds of farmers blocked the Jamboti–Sankeshwar–Jewargi state highway, where BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra joined them to express solidarity. Addressing the protesters, he criticised the Congress government for what he termed as “complete neglect” of the farming community.
“Farmers have been struck by heavy rain, yet not a single minister, neither the in-charge nor the revenue minister, has visited North Karnataka. The government’s apathy has forced farmers onto the streets once again,” Vijayendra said.
He demanded that the government announce a sugarcane price of ₹3,500 per tonne and clear all pending dues immediately. “We are giving the government time till this evening. If it fails to act, we will launch a statewide intensified agitation,” he warned.
With demonstrations spreading across multiple districts and key highways blocked, the farmers’ movement has turned into one of the largest agrarian protests in recent years, posing a major political challenge to the Siddaramaiah-led government.
Vijayendra warns of internal power tussle after Bihar polls
Later in Belagavi, Vijayendra launched a fresh attack on the ruling Congress, accusing it of apathy towards farmers protesting in Gurlapur and predicting an imminent power struggle for the chief minister’s post after the Bihar Assembly elections.
“The government must act swiftly. When farmers suffer, we should stand united, cutting across political lines,” he said, adding that his visit had the full backing of party leaders.
Recalling past events, he said, “When farmer Vithal Arabavi ended his life in Belagavi years ago, B.S. Yediyurappa fought for an additional ₹150 per tonne for sugarcane growers; that was true leadership.”
Vijayendra also alleged that the government has ignored farmers affected by floods in Kalyana Karnataka. “Nearly six million tonnes of sugarcane are crushed in the state every year, generating about ₹55,000 crore in revenue. Yet, the government shows little concern for those who make that possible. Everyone knows who the sugar mill owners are,” he remarked.
He concluded by hinting at political unrest within the ruling party, saying, “The battle for the CM’s chair has already begun, and its intensity will be visible once the Bihar polls are over.”
