Farmers and pro-farmers organisations along with members of different political parties took out tractor rallies and also bullock cart and motorcycle rallies in various districts of Bombay Karnataka on Tuesday in support of the ongoing farmers agitation in New Delhi seeking repeal of the new farm laws.
Tractor rallies were taken out in Dharwad, Hubballi, Haveri and other places, with hundreds of farmers assembling in large numbers and participating in the rallies. Through the peaceful protests, the farmers and members of the Opposition parties demanded immediate withdrawal of the new farm laws, which, they said, were against the interests of farmers.
In Dharwad, under the aegis of Raita Hitarakshana Samiti, the former Union Minister Babagouda Patil, social activist Ganesh N. Devy, Congress leaders Pandurang Neeralakeri, Shakir Sanadi, Bangaresh Hiremath, Janata Dal(S) leader Gururaj Hunasimarad and others took part in the tractor rally. The rally began from the APMC Yard and concluded at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Dharwad. The speakers at the rally accused the Union government of being apathetic towards the genuine issues raised by the farmers.
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In the other tractor rally taken out by Raita Krishi Karmikara Sanghatane (RKS), the Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha and Hasiru Sene and other progressive organisations, not many tractors were seen due to the restrictions imposed by the police. The organisers said that as the police had denied permission for a larger rally, they had appealed to farmers from villages not to come to Dharwad. The tractor rally originated and concluded on Kalabhavan premises after covering the arterial roads of the city.
The speakers at the rally, including V. Nagammal, Nagappa Undi, Sharanu Gonawar and others, said that the Union government was testing the patience of the farmers whose peaceful protest had extended to close to two months now. They sought the immediate repeal of the farm laws and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was bent on helping his corporate friends instead of protecting farmers.
In Hubballi, members of various organisations accompanied by Janata Dal(S) and Congress leaders took out a tractor rally and some even came on bullock carts and motorcycles. Janata Dal(S)leader N.H. Konaraddi and others took part in it. Starting from Ambedkar’s statue, they covered the thoroughfares of the city before concluding the rally at the Kittur Chennamma Circle.
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In Haveri, hundreds of farmers took out a tractor rally and covered the thoroughfares of the city seeking repeal of the farm laws. Arriving from different villages, the farmers drove their tractors from different directions to the Municipal High School Grounds in Haveri, where a protest meeting was held. Waving green flags, they went around the city and condemned in strong words what they termed as apathy of the Union government towards the farmers.