Copyright indiatoday
Stone pelting was reported on the highway in Belagavi on Friday as the sugarcane farmers' protest in Karnataka entered its eighth day. Stones were pelted at a police bus that was stationed, and police have detained a few culprits who pelted stones.Belagavi Superintendent of Police Dr Bheemashankar S Guled said some miscreants began pelting stones when police tried to clear protesters from the highway.He said the police exercised restraint and later held talks with farmer leaders, following which the protesters dispersed. Six police personnel were injured, and a few vehicles were damaged in the incident. The SP said cases will be registered and those responsible identified, assuring that no innocent person would be arrested."Farmer organisations had come here to the national highway. In spite of the police asking them to vacate the highways, they would not leave. When police tried to remove them, some people, probably miscreants, began pelting stones. At that time, police in their wisdom and self-control did not use any force. Subsequently, we took the farmer leaders into confidence and spoke to them. We addressed the farmers and asked them not to take the law into their own hands or resort to violence. The farmers conceded to our request. I appeal to farmers again not to take the law into their hands and not fall into the hands of some conspirators. There has been damage to a few vehicles and injury to 6 police personnel. We are assessing the extent of the vehicle damage. We will have to register the case, identify the miscreants and take action against them. No innocent person will be arrested," Dr Guled said..preferred-source-banner{ margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}This comes as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is meeting farmer organisations in Vidhana Soudha.Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said the Centre was responsible for fixing the sugarcane Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), as sugarcane farmers in north Karnataka continued their protest demanding Rs 3,500 per tonne.He urged farmers not to intensify their agitation and called them for talks in Bengaluru on Friday.Addressing reporters, Siddaramaiah said he had convened a meeting with sugar factory owners and farmers' representatives from Haveri, Belagavi, Vijayapura and Bagalkote to discuss the ongoing stir. "The FRP is fixed by the Union government. This year, the FRP recovery has been fixed at 10.25 per tonne, including harvesting and transport," he said.The Chief Minister requested farmers to attend the meeting and avoid blocking highways. "I request farmers not to go in such a manner of strike and not cause inconvenience to the public," he said, adding that he would seek an appointment with the Prime Minister immediately.Siddaramaiah also criticised the Centre over sugar regulation and ethanol allocation. He said the Centre not only fixed sugarcane prices but regulated sugar, stopped exports, and allotted Karnataka only 47 crore litres of ethanol despite the state producing 270 crore litres.He accused the opposition of "exploiting the innocence of farmers" even as the state had initiated measures like tendering for digital weighing machines and setting up committees to monitor cutting and yield.According to him, Karnataka produced 522 lakh metric tonnes of sugarcane in 2024-25. "Tomorrow from 11 am to 1 pm, we will meet sugarcane farmers, and from 1 pm, farmers' leaders from Belagavi and other districts," he said.Farmers, however, have refused to travel to Bengaluru, saying doing so would "send a wrong message" to their supporters.The protest, which entered its seventh day in Belagavi and spread across parts of north Karnataka, saw road blocks, burning of tyres and effigies, and support from farmer groups, student organisations, and the BJP.State BJP president BY Vijayendra joined protesters overnight, and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai urged the government to ensure farmers received Rs 3,500 per tonne, suggesting factories pay Rs 3,300 and the state add Rs 200.Minister Patil said inputs from sugar factories and officials would be reviewed on Friday morning and a decision would be conveyed by Friday afternoon. "By 2 pm on November 7, we will inform you about the government's decision that will be mostly pro-farmers," he told protesters.- EndsPublished By: Nakul AhujaPublished On: Nov 7, 2025
