The Hindu : Karnataka News : Farmers continue fast at Alamatti

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 02, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Farmers continue fast at Alamatti

By Our Staff Correspondent

BIJAPUR, FEB. 1. The fast-unto-death launched by the local MP, Basanagouda R. Patil Yatnal, and a number of farmers at the Alamatti Dam site entered the second day today.

Today, Satappa Byakod (70) from Kumte and Garigappa Jamkhandi (50) from Madagunaki, farmers who were on fast, fainted and were put on drips. The number of people on fast rose to 138 with 26 more joining the agitation today.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Mohsin, called on the agitators along with Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat, Nagaraj Hampol, and appealed to them to end the fast.

However, Mr. Yatnal, the farmers' leader Panchappa Kalburgi and the former MLA S.K. Bellubbi, who are leading the agitation, rejected the offer.

Minister for talks

Our Bangalore Special Correspondent reports:

Speaking in the Legislative Assembly today on the agitation, the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, said he is sending Mirajuddin Patel, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Wakf, on Wednesday to talk to the agitating farmers to call off their fast.

Bus set on fire

Tension prevailed in the Railway Station area on Tuesday night when some miscreants set a city bus on fire. At around 10 p.m., some youths reportedly identified as supporters of the Bijapur Zilla Samagra Neeravari Horata Samiti threw stones on the Al-Ameen-Railway Station bus near Gol Gumbaz Police Station. As the driver stopped the bus, they reportedly poured petrol inside the vehicle and set it on fire. It is said that there were only three or four persons, including the driver and the conductor in the bus, when it came under attack. All of them escaped safely.

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