The protest march by over 10,000 farmers riding tractors from Kolar and Chickballapur turned violent when they tried to break the barricades put up by the police. The police resorted to lathi charge to tame the crowd.
The police detained leaders R. Anjaneya Reddy and Kodihalli Chandrashekhar before chasing the protesters at Windsor Manor junction.
Hundreds of tractors were abandoned by farmers on the busy Bellary road leading to traffic chaos.
The protesters also damaged a BMTC bus by pelting stones and damaging the bumper of the vehicle.
Earlier Mr. Reddy said that the agitation was to bring the plight of farmers to the notice of the government .
"The farmers were protesting in Kolar and Chickballapur for the past 165 days demanding drinking water,” but there was no response from the government.
We demand the government take measures to increase the ground-level water and rejuvenate the tanks and lakes in these areas to minimise the water problem, Mr. Reddy said.
The people of Bengaluru should understand our plight and cooperate and support our cause, he urged.
The protesters said that they would continue the protest and would not leave the city till their demands were met.
Earlier, traffic movement on the busy KIAL road was disrupted when hundreds of farmers driving tractors matched into the city to lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha, demanding permanent water solution for Kolar and Chickballapur districts.
Tension prevailed when police tried to stop farmers getting into the city. Agitated farmers broke the barricades.
Herding to their demands, the police allowed them to park tractors at Palace Grounds. From there, the protestors took a march to Freedom Park.
Police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse farmers and detained leaders Kodihalli Chandrashekhar and others who tried to break the barricades at Cauvery Junction. Farmers left their vehicles on the road and left after the lathi charge .
“The government is ignoring our plight. Our children do not have water to drink and we are not getting water for farming. We will not move out of the city till out demands are met,” the protestors said.
Traffic was also disrupted at Hoskote and K.R.Puram. Due to the inflow of tractors into the city, traffic in several parts of the city has been disrupted.
